Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies at 47

Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has died at the age of 47. The Bureau of the Royal Household announced her death on Friday, stating she passed away on Thursday evening at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, where she had been under intensive care since falling unconscious in December 2022.

The princess was hospitalized after collapsing due to a heart condition while training dogs for an army exhibition in Nakhon Ratchasima province. She was airlifted to the capital for treatment. The palace said her initial illness involved a mycoplasma infection, a type of bacterial infection. In its latest statement, the palace reported her condition had progressively declined due to complications including an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood clotting disorders. The medical team provided the closest and most intensive care possible, but her condition continued to decline progressively, the palace said.

Born on December 7, 1978, to the then-Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali, Bajrakitiyabha was a trained lawyer and a prominent public figure. She earned a...