See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy ELIANA SILVER, SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 07:28 BST, 21 May 2026 | Updated: 10:18 BST, 21 May 2026
The health condition of a Thai princess who has been hospitalised for more than three years has deteriorated, the palace said Thursday.Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, the king's eldest daughter, fell ill during a military dog training session in December 2022 and has remained in hospital since.She suffered from a severe blood infection and her lung and kidney functions were being supported by medical devices and medication, the palace previously said.The Bureau of the Royal Household said in a statement on Thursday that the princess had developed an abdominal infection from inflammation of the large intestine.The royal was also experiencing 'unstable vital signs, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and abnormal blood coagulation', the statement added.The palace said that Bajrakitiyabha was still relying on medical equipment to support her lung and kidney functions, as well as medication.'Her condition has continued to deteriorate,' it said, adding that the infection had become 'uncontrollable and affected other organs'.Educated in Britain, the US and Thailand, Bajrakitiyabha held several positions with the United Nations and campaigned for better treatment of women in prisons.Known in Thailand as 'Princess Bha', the 47-year-old is the only child from King Maha Vajiralongkorn's first marriage. The Bureau of the Royal Household said in a statement on Thursday that the princess had developed an abdominal infection from inflammation of the large intestine (Pictured in orange) Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn (2nd R) and Queen Suthida (R) wave to well-wishers with his children Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana (L), Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti (2nd L) and Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol in 2019 Bajrakitiyabha held several positions with the United Nations and campaigned for better treatment of women in prisonsShe 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.Princess Bajrakitiyabha was running during a military dog training session when she collapsed and lost consciousness in the Khao Yai National Park in the Nakhon Ratchasima province, central Thailand, in 2022.The princess was airlifted from the Pack Chong Nana Hospital to the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok after she fell ill.Thai royal expert Andrew MacGregor Marshall, an author and lecturer, said at the time that the prognosis was 'very grim' and that the monarchy could be thrown into chaos.MacGregor claimed the incident has 'huge repercussions' for the Thai monarchy as Princess Bajrakitiyabha was being lined up as the successor to controversial 'crop top king' Vajiralongkorn.In their last health update on the princess in August 2025 - the first in two years - the palace said doctors were closely monitoring her condition.'The medical team said that she remains in a state of low blood pressure, requiring continuous treatment,' the statement from the Bureau of the Royal Household said.'Doctors are administering medication to stabilise her blood pressure, along with medical equipment and antibiotics to support kidney function and breathing.'
