Bajrakitiyabha

Princess Bajrakitiyabha, the Princess Rajasarini Siribajra (พัชรกิติยาภา นเรนทิราเทพยวดี,, also known as Princess Bha or Patty, born 7 December 1978) is a Thai princess and diplomat of Thailand, the first grandchild of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand, and the only one of the seven children of King Vajiralongkorn born to his first wife Princess Soamsawali.

In December 2022, Bajrakitiyabha collapsed as a result of a heart condition while out walking her dogs. As of July 2024, she remains in a coma and is not expected to recover.

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 May 2024, she remains in a coma with no information on any possible recovery.

Thai Royal decorations

 * 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 honour

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


 * Symbols