Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha dies after years in a coma, leaving royal succession uncertain

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the eldest daughter of King Vajiralongkorn and a prominent royal figure, has died after more than three years in a coma following a December 2022 collapse linked to a heart infection. Her death removes a leading potential successor and raises questions about Thailand’s royal future at a time when the throne has traditionally favored male heirs, though a 1974 amendment allows a queen. Bajrakitiyabha was a lawyer, diplomat, and advocate for penal reform, later serving as UNODC’s Ambassador for the Rule of Law in Southeast Asia and, in 2021, as chief of staff to the king’s private bodyguard with the rank of general.