The American-educated Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, known by her nickname Princess Bha, is widely viewed as the most viable option to succeed the throne in Thailand. She is the oldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his only child from his first marriage.
The king has never declared that the princess would take his place but she is one of just three children with royal titles and is a commander in his bodyguard unit.
Her hospitalisation at the age of 44 has shown that people know little about the princess beyond her public image, which is studded with international accomplishments but little personal detail, said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thai scholar who works in exile at Kyoto University’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
Photograph: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images
The princess is the daughter of the king’s cousin, who was the first of his four wives. As a teenager she was educated at Heathfield school, a prestigious all-girls school in England, before earning two graduate degrees at Cornell University. She served as Thailand’s ambassador to Austria, going on to become an advocate for Thai female prisoners. She has stayed quiet on national politics, including the mass 2020 protests over monarchy reform.
“At this point, at the age of 44, we’ve seen nothing from her,” Chachavalpongpun said. “People hardly know her.”
That changed to a certain extent on Wednesday last week: the princess was training her dogs in a north-eastern province when she collapsed and lost consciousness. Helicopters airlifted her to Bangkok after she received local treatment. The palace’s initial statement about her health was vague, triggering a swirl of online rumours.
Five days passed before the palace broke its silence again, saying on Monday that Princess Bajrakitiyabha was stable “at a certain level” but receiving medication and equipment support for her lung, heart and kidneys.
The same day, the country’s court of justice told its offices to refrain from new year’s celebrations and instead pray for the princess’s recovery. Meanwhile officials and citizens across Thailand hosted activities and prayers for the princess, with her hospital setting up a get-well-soon and bouquet area for visitors, reported Thai outlet Prachatai.
One government employee who asked for anonymity given the country’s harsh lese-majesty laws on discussion of the royal family said it was “hopeless” to speculate about succession but that group chats and Twitter threads were lighting up about it anyway. “We wish for the monarchy reformation but then, sadly, it’s not up to us,” they said.
The king – who has sole power to decide his successor – has never declared that the princess would take his place. Bajrakitiyabha would be the first woman named sovereign heir if he did.
She is a key figure in her father’s orbit, serving as a commander in the royal bodyguard unit and regularly appearing at events. While Vajiralongkorn went on to have six more children, only two others have retained their formal titles.
The Thai worker said the princess’s accomplishments gave her a generally positive reputation. “But some would say she’s also supporting the lese majeste. Basically, when considering all the other options, she’s the most reasonable one.”