Thousands mourn Thailand's Princess Bajrakitiyabha as funeral procession reaches Grand Palace

Thailand entered a period of national mourning following the death of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, the eldest daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, at the age of 47. Thousands of mourners gathered in Bangkok on Saturday, 13 June 2026, as her remains were taken in a royal funeral procession from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital to the Grand Palace.

According to the Royal Household Bureau, Princess Bajrakitiyabha passed away peacefully at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital at 7.48pm on Thursday, 11 June 2026, after more than three years of medical treatment.

She had been receiving care since 15 December 2022, after falling into a coma caused by a heart-related condition. The princess had collapsed a day earlier while exercising her pet dogs in Nakhon Ratchasima's Pak Chong district.

The bureau said her condition deteriorated on 21 May 2026 following an abdominal infection caused by inflammation of the large intestine. This led to low blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms and blood-clotting abnormalities, and her health progressively worsened despite continuous treatment.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn ordered that funeral arrangements be conducted with the highest royal honours in accordance with royal tradition. Her remains were placed in the Phiman Rattaya Throne Hall at the Grand Palace.

Funeral procession to the Grand Palace

Thousands of Thais lined the route from King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital for the royal funeral procession on Saturday, according to Bernama. Many mourners, dressed in black, held portraits of the princess as her remains were transferred in a royal cortege.

The princess was conveyed in a silver van at the centre of the procession, which departed the hospital at around 4.25pm and travelled along a 10-kilometre route, arriving at the Grand Palace at approximately 5.05pm.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn followed in a cream-coloured car behind his daughter's vehicle. Officials present saluted, while the seated crowd bowed their heads towards their hands, with many in tears.

Mourners had gathered from the morning, using umbrellas and fans to cope with the heat, the report said. Streets along the route were closed to traffic and lined with hospital staff bowing as the procession passed.

Tributes from mourners

Krongthong Samarn, in her 60s, from Samut Prakan, told Bernama that Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been kind and served as a source of support and inspiration for Thai people.

"I feel that Thailand has suffered a tremendous loss, as if we have lost one of the pillars that gave us strength and reassurance," she said, adding that she was "deeply saddened and at a loss for words."

Krongthong said all Thai people should continue to do their part for the country to prosper, adding that ordinary citizens remained devoted to the monarchy and the king.

Phoungrat Klaynongsung, a 61-year-old retiree from Pathum Thani, told a separate report she had travelled to the hospital immediately after the Royal Household Bureau's announcement on Friday. She described the princess's passing as a profound loss for Thailand.

Phoungrat recalled seeing the princess assisting flood victims and praised her commitment to helping people during times of hardship, while expressing support for King Maha Vajiralongkorn and the royal family.

Speaking to The Guardian, Wanida Lainun said her aunt had benefited from a project the princess ran to help underprivileged people in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.

Anchalee, who asked that her surname not be used, told The Guardian the princess's team had provided rapid assistance to people affected by natural disasters. "Herself and her team go there right away to help them," she said.

Anchalee, who is the same age as the princess and met her while a college student, said she had waited on the streets since 10am. She described feeling shocked when the princess first fell ill, adding that people had hoped for years that she would recover.

Public mourning measures

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a special cabinet meeting after the announcement of the princess's death, during which ministers observed a moment of silence before discussing preparations for the royal ceremonies.

Charnvirakul later led cabinet ministers in performing the royal bathing rite before the princess's portrait at the Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion within the Grand Palace.

Relevant ministries and agencies were instructed to provide full support and facilitate members of the public attending the ceremonies, Charnvirakul said. He added that previously scheduled international engagements would proceed as planned, although officials travelling abroad had been advised to keep visits brief and focus on essential duties.

The public should continue their daily lives as normal during the mourning period while observing appropriate conduct, Charnvirakul said.

Government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said all government offices, state enterprises, public agencies and educational institutions would fly flags at half-mast for 15 days from Friday, 12 June 2026. Civil servants and public officials were instructed to observe the 15-day mourning period, while members of the public were encouraged to do so as appropriate.

Bangkok city clerk Narong Ruangsri said the procession conveying the royal remains to the Phiman Rattaya Throne Hall had been scheduled to begin at 3.30pm.

The Bureau of the Royal Household said members of the public would be permitted to pay their respects before the princess's portrait at the Sahathai Samakhom Pavilion daily from 8.30am to 4pm, beginning Sunday, 14 June 2026. A condolence book will be provided at the venue.

Following the completion of a 15-day royal merit-making ceremony involving Buddhist monastic chanting, the public will be allowed to pay respects to the royal remains at the Phiman Rattaya Throne Hall from 9am to 9pm daily, beginning 27 June 2026.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn has also granted permission for the royal family, the Privy Council, the cabinet, government agencies, private organisations and the public to host funeral chanting ceremonies after the first 100 days of royal rites.

A life of public service

Princess Bajrakitiyabha trained as a lawyer and served Thailand in several official roles, including as an ambassador to Austria and within the royal security command.

She was widely remembered for her advocacy on behalf of ordinary citizens, including campaigning for the rights of female prisoners.

After devastating floods hit Bangkok in 1995, the princess and her mother personally cooked meals, packed medicine and waded into cut-off areas to deliver aid directly to stranded residents, according to local media.

In October 1995, she founded the Friends in Need (of 'Pa') Project under the Thai Red Cross Society. The project provided tools to help people evacuate before disasters struck, offered frontline services, and assisted flood-affected communities out of poverty.

When King Bhumibol Adulyadej died in October 2016, his body lay in state for more than a year before an elaborate royal cremation ceremony. No date has yet been announced for Princess Bajrakitiyabha's cremation ceremony.