Bajrakitiyabha

Early life and education

Princess Bajrakitiyabha was born on 7 December 1978 at Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall, Dusit Palace in Bangkok. She is the eldest child and first daughter of Vajiralongkorn and his first wife princess Soamsawali. She studied at the all-girls Rajini School when she was in elementary and junior high school. She moved to England and began her secondary education first at Heathfield School in Ascot, finishing at the Chitralada School.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha received an LL.B. degree from Thammasat University, as well as a B.A. degree in International Relations from Sukhothai Thammatirat University, both in 2000. She subsequently obtained an LL.M. degree from Cornell Law School in 2002 and a J.S.D. degree from Cornell University in 2005.

On 12 May 2012, she was awarded an honorary LL.D. degree from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha was the only child given the title of Kromma Luang, the 3rd level of the Krom ranks by her father. She was the Princess Rajasarini Siribajra (Krom Luang Rajasarini Siribajra).

Career

In 2002, she was a summer legal intern at Baker McKenzie's Washington, D.C. office. On completion of her legal education Princess Bajrakitiyabha worked briefly at the Thai Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in New York, before returning to Thailand. In September 2006, she was appointed Attorney in the Office of the Attorney General in Bangkok, and was then appointed to Office of the Attorney General of Udon Thani Province.

From 2012 to 2014, she was the Thai ambassador to Austria, until she returned to a post at the Office of the Attorney General.

On 3 February 2021, the princess was transferred from her position as an attorney in the Office of the Attorney General to the Royal Security Command in the position of Chief of Staff of The King's Close Bodyguard Command and bestowed the rank of general.

Work on women in the penal system

The princess was instrumental in prodding the Thai government to submit a resolution to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council, that detailed the vulnerability of women incarcerated in a system built principally for men. Her efforts were to lead to the UN adoption of the "Bangkok Rules", the first set of universal guidelines addressing the treatment of women in the justice system.

Bajrakitiyabha runs the "Kamlangjai" or "Inspire" project, which reaches out to incarcerated Thai women including pregnant inmates and their babies, and intends to assure those female and pregnant inmates are given adequate assistance to prepare them to reenter society upon release. She is also working on "Enhancing lives of Female Inmates" (ELFI), a project which proposes new rules for the treatment of women prisoners and non-custodial measures for women offenders as a supplement to the 1955 Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (SMRTP).

Health

In December 2022, the Bureau of the Royal Household announced that the Princess had been hospitalised following a collapse while out walking her dogs on 14 December. The palace confirmed that it was due to a heart condition. She had been training her dogs for the Thailand Working Dog Championship 2022 organised by the Royal Thai Army.

The princess was initially taken to Pak Chong Nana Hospital and then transferred to the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. As of , she remains in a coma with no information publicly known about the possibility of recovery.

As the first official update regarding her conditions since 2023, the Bureau of the Royal Family announced in August 2025 that Princess Bajrakitiyabha has been diagnosed with a severe bloodstream infection; doctors had to administer antibiotics to keep blood pressure stable. She is still supported by equipment for her lung and kidney functions.

Honours and symbols

National honours

• Dame of The Most Illustrious Order of the Royal House of Chakri
• Dame of the Ancient and Auspicious Order of the Nine Gems
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao, First Class
• Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the White Elephant
• Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Thailand
• Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Direkgunabhorn
• King Rama IX Royal Cypher Medal (First Class)
• King Rama X Royal Cypher Medal (First Class)
• Recipient of the Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the Coronation of H.M. King Rama X

Foreign honours

• Austria: Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (7 October 2014)

Symbols

File:Royal Cypher of Princess Bajrakitiyabha.svg|Royal monogram of Princess Bajkratiyabha File:Royal Flag of Princess Bajrakitiyabha (2019-).svg|Royal flag of Princess Bajkratiyabha

Ancestry

References

References

1. Kelliher, Fiona. (20 December 2022). "Who is Princess Bha? Thailand's presumed royal heir is lying in hospital". The Guardian.
2. (29 May 2005). "Commencement 2005: Cell phones, cameras, congratulations, challenges and a princess". Cornell University News Service.
3. "5 things to know about Princess Bajrakitiyabha, daughter of Thai King Vajiralongkorn and his first wife Princess Soamsawali". South China Morning Post.
4. [http://www.tijthailand.org/main/en/content/311.html CURRICULUM VITAE Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand]- website Thailand Institute of Justice {{Webarchive. link. (20 December 2016)
5. (8 May 2012). "Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand and ABA President-elect Laurel G. Bellows to address 2012 IIT Chicago-Kent graduates".
6. [https://www.gcc.go.th/?p=94498 พระประวัติสมเด็จพระเจ้าลูกเธอ เจ้าฟ้าพัชรกิติยาภา ฯ]
7. (29 May 2002). "Hey, Princess, Where's That Legal Brief?". [[The Washington Post]].
8. (21 August 2006). "Hrh Princess Bajrakitiyabha Will Serve As Attorney Of The Office Of The Attorney-general".
9. "พระบรมราชโองการ โปรดเกล้าฯ "พลเอกหญิงสมเด็จพระเจ้าลูกเธอ เจ้าฟ้าพัชรกิติยาภาฯ" ทรงโอนย้าย ดำรงตำแหน่ง "เสนาธิการ"".
10. "โปรดเกล้าฯ พระราชทานพระยศ เจ้าฟ้าพัชรกิติยาภาฯ เป็น พลเอกหญิง พร้อมรับโอนจากอัยการ".
11. "The Bangkok Rules; United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders with their Commentary".
12. (17 May 2011). "Dialogue—Issue 43: Bangkok Rules Address the Plight of Women in Prison".
13. "History of Inspire".
14. (8 September 2016). "Thailand is moving closer to decriminalizing meth".
15. [http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/enhancing-lives-of-female-inmates.html Enhancing the lives of female inmates]. UNODC (23 April 2009). Retrieved 19 September 2011.
16. "Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati in hospital with heart problem". Bangkok Post.
17. (2022-12-15). "Thai princess collapses from heart condition, palace says". BBC News.
18. "Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati in hospital with heart problem".
19. (7 June 2023). "Thailand mum about princess' condition 5 months on from accident". La Prensa Latina Media.
20. (9 August 2023). "Royal prodigal son's return stirs up Thailand". BBC News.
21. (15 August 2025). "Palace announces Princess Bajrakitiyabha suffers severe bloodstream infection; doctors providing full treatment".
22. (15 August 2025). "Doctors closely monitor conditions of Princess Bajrakitiyabha".
23. (28 July 2019). "ประกาศสถาปนา". Royal Thai Government Gazette.
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33. [http://www.mfa.go.th/main/th/media-center/28/50300-ประธานาธิบดีออสเตรียถวายเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์-Groß.html] {{webarchive. link. (18 October 2016)
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