Sick Thai princess suffers ‘severe’ blood infection

Princess Bajrakitiyabha greets royalist supporters outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok on November 1, 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Vachira Vachira/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Bangkok, Thailand -- The Thai king’s eldest daughter, who has been gravely ill in hospital for more than two years, has suffered a “severe” blood infection, the palace said on Friday.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol has been unconscious in hospital since falling ill with a heart condition in December 2022 during a military dog training session at Nakhon Ratchasima, north of the capital Bangkok.

A statement from the Bureau of the Royal Household gave the first update on the princess’s condition in more than two years.

“The doctors have reported that the Princess’s lungs and kidneys have been functioning with support from medical devices and medication,” the statement said.

“From August 9, 2025, the medical team detected a severe infection in the bloodstream, leading them to administer antibiotics and medication to stimulate blood pressure in order to maintain stable levels.”

Doctors will continue to monitor her condition and provide treatment, the statement said.

Known in Thailand as “Princess Bha”, the 46-year-old is the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the only child from his first marriage.

Educated in Britain, the United States and Thailand, Bajrakitiyabha has held a number of positions with the United Nations and has campaigned for better treatment of women in prisons.

She is seen as close to her father, and was appointed to a senior role in his bodyguard command a year before her hospitalisation.

The 73-year-old king, who has seven children from four marriages, has not announced his chosen heir, though succession rules favour men.

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.