Royal family suffers heartbreaking loss as beloved Princess dies

The royal Household has announced heartbreaking news about a beloved family member's death.

Thailand’s royal family is mourning as Princess Bajrakitiyabha passed away at the age of 47 on Thursday, June 11, after three years in a coma.

Known as Princess Bha, the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn was a lawyer and advocate for the rights of incarcerated women.

The Princess, the most visible members of the royal family on the world stage, was hospitalised in December 2022 after she fell unconscious while training dogs.

The royal family rarely shared updates on Bajrakitiyabha’s condition. However, she had a mycoplasma infection, according to the Palace.

In August 2025, her medical team reportedly “detected a severe infection in the bloodstream, leading them to administer antibiotics and medication to stimulate blood pressure in order to maintain stable levels.”

Her doctors reported that her “lungs and kidneys have been functioning with support from medical devices and medication,” the statement said.

In May, the royal family said Bajrakitiyabha was experiencing “unstable vital signs, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and abnormal blood coagulation.”

Bajrakitiyabha was Thailand’s ambassador to Austria from 2012 to 2014 and became a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime in 2017. She campaigned for justice reform, focusing on efforts to rehabilitate incarcerated women.

Bajrakitiyabha’s death leaves the future of the Thai monarchy uncertain, as the king has not officially named a successor.

His youngest son, 21-year-old Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, is the presumptive heir because sons take precedence over daughters. 

Bajrakitiyabha was seen as a potential heir due to her public service. 

Thailand has never had a ruling queen, but the country did pass an amendment in 1974 to allow for a female ruler, the BBC reported.