President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extends condolences to Thailand’s Royal Family following the death of the eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, on Thursday.
“On behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Filipino people, I extend my deepest condolences to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the Royal Family, and the people of Thailand on the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati,” Marcos said in a statement.
Marcos also acknowledged the princess’s dedication to public service and her commitment to justice, human dignity, and women’s rights, leaving a legacy remembered by the whole Thai community.
Princess Debyavati, who passed away at 47, was reportedly in a coma for nearly four years due to multiple health problems after being hospitalized in December 2022, due to sudden loss of consciousness caused by a heart condition while visiting the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima.
The princess died on Thursday evening after her condition worsened due to an intra-abdominal infection, colitis, low blood pressure, arrhythmias, and blood-clotting disorders, according to a palace statement.
Known as Princess Pa, she was born on 7 December 1978 to the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife, Princess Soamsawali.
Princess Pa studied law at Cornell University, obtaining a master's degree and a doctorate, and worked as an attorney in the Thai Office of the Attorney-General between 2006 and 2011.
She was also Thailand's ambassador to Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia, before returning to the attorney-general's office in Bangkok, including being a founder of a charity that promotes the rights of female inmates.
Alongside this, Bajrakitiyabha was appointed as the goodwill ambassador for the rule of law in Southeast Asia by the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in 2017.
Furthermore, Princess Pa transferred to the army in 2021, where she served as a general and chief of staff in the Royal Security Command.
The princess was one of King Vajiralongkorn's three children who have formal titles and are eligible to take the throne under the constitution.
The palace will hold royal funeral rites, while the government is expected to declare a period of mourning.