Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

(FILES) Well-wishers bow in front of an image of Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok on December 16, 2022. Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king's eldest daughter, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced on June 12, 2026, more than three years after she was hospitalised following a sudden illness. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1781226523572Screen Shot 2026-06-12 at 9.08.33 AM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Well-wishers bow in front of an image of Thailand&#x27;s Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok on December 16, 2022. Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king&#x27;s eldest daughter, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced on June 12, 2026, more than three years after she was hospitalised following a sudden illness. <em>Photo by Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>BANGKOK, Thailand — Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king&#x27;s eldest daughter, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced Friday, more than three years after she was hospitalized following a sudden illness.</p><p>She was suffering from an abdominal infection and &quot;her condition continued to worsen&quot;, the Bureau of the Royal Household said in a statement, until she &quot;passed away peacefully&quot; on Thursday evening.</p><p>She will lie in state at the Grand Palace in Bangkok and her funeral would be held &quot;with the highest honours according to royal tradition&quot;, it added.</p><p>Known in Thailand as &quot;Princess Bha&quot;, the only child from King Maha Vajiralongkorn&#x27;s first marriage had been in hospital since falling ill suddenly in December 2022.</p><p>The Bureau of the Royal Household said in May that her health condition had deteriorated and she was relying on medical devices to support her lung and kidney functions, as well as medication.</p><p>Bajrakitiyabha was the only child of King Vajiralongkorn&#x27;s first marriage to Princess Soamsawali.</p><p>A trained prosecutor and diplomat, Bajrakitiyabha was educated in Britain, Thailand and the United States, earning a law degree from Cornell University, and serving for a time as Thailand&#x27;s ambassador to Austria.</p><p>During a 2012 visit to the US law school, the princess remarked about her professional background to a campus audience: &quot;I ask myself now, what am I exactly? A prosecutor? A criminal lawyer? A diplomat? The answer is everything all together. I say I am a hybrid,&quot; according to the Cornell Chronicle.</p><p>She also held several positions with the United Nations and became an advocate for women&#x27;s rights, including improved conditions for women in prison.</p><p>As princess, Bajrakitiyabha held an important ceremonial role in Thai society -- where the royal family sits at the apex.</p><p>She was seen as close to her father, and was appointed to a senior role in his bodyguard command a year before her hospitalization.</p><p>The 73-year-old king, who has seven children from four marriages, has not announced his chosen heir, though succession rules favour men.</p><p>Strict rules govern what can and cannot be said about the Thai royal family, who are protected from criticism by lese-majeste laws which carry prison sentences of up to 15 years per charge.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SNJsrsF5czg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king's eldest daughter, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced Friday, more than three years after she was hospitalized following a sudden illness.</p>

Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king's eldest daughter, has died aged 47, the royal palace announced Friday, more than three years after she was hospitalized following a sudden illness.

Thai princess dies aged 47 after three years in hospital: palace

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

World

Thai princess dies aged 47 after three years in hospital: palace

Agence France-Presse

Published June 12, 2026 09:09 AM PHT

Read More:

Agence France-Presse

Bangkok

Thailand

royals

princess

Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.