Thailand’s royal palace says the eldest daughter of the Thai king collapsed Wednesday evening from heart disease.
Princess Bajrakityabha, the eldest daughter of King Vajiralongkorn, collapsed while training her dogs northeast of Bangkok, the palace said.
The 44-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital, then flown by helicopter to Bangkok, where he is being treated.
The palace described his condition as “moderately stable” last night.
JEE News says medical bulletins from Thailand’s royal palace are generally vague and confidential and it is difficult to gauge the extent of Princess Bjarkatyabha’s condition from a single statement. It is serious.
The statement did not say anything about his health status now. Some reports have suggested that it is more serious than stated.
The princess is the daughter of the king’s first wife Princess Someswali and his eldest child. She has been part of her father’s inner circle since succeeding King Bhumibol in 2016, and has been made a high-ranking officer in the king’s personal bodyguard.
She is one of the most prominent figures in the inner royal circle, holding post-graduate degrees in law from two American universities.
King Vajiralongkorn has yet to name an heir to the throne, but Princess Bjarkatyabha is seen as the most suitable successor.
As one of the king’s three children with formal titles, he is eligible to the throne under the 1924 Palace Act of Succession.
She is a fitness enthusiast and also has a long record of advocating for penal reform in Thailand.
She particularly speaks out for women prisoners, of whom Thailand has the world’s most populous country.
She was the Ambassador of Thailand to Austria from 2012 to 2014.
