Thai princess being treated for severe infection, royal bureau says
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Doctors treating the 46-year-old princess detected an infection in her bloodstream on Aug 9.
PHOTO: THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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BANGKOK – Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, who has been unconscious for nearly three years after collapsing due to a heart condition, is now being treated for a severe infection, the Bureau of the Royal Household said.
Doctors treating the 46-year-old princess, the oldest of King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s seven children, detected an infection in her bloodstream on Aug 9, the bureau said in a statement on Aug 15.
She’s been administered different types of antibiotics and other medication to stabilise her blood pressure levels, it said.
The medical team at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok continues to provide full care and is closely monitoring the princess’s condition, the bureau said.
She was seen by some analysts as a potential heir to the throne, which would make her the first female monarch of Thailand. King Vajiralongkorn, 73, has not appointed an heir since taking the throne in 2016.
The princess has been put on medical equipment to support the functions of her lungs and kidneys since her collapse in December 2022, according to the bureau.
Doctors have occasionally detected infections, for which antibiotics have periodically been administered, the palace said.
Since she became ill, the princess’ portraits have been shown in public places in the South-east Asian nation, with messages wishing her a speedy recovery.
Princess Bajrakitiyabha, who has a law degree from Cornell University, served as a diplomat to Austria and held roles at UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
She has also served in the Attorney-General’s Office and holds the rank of general in the king’s Royal Security Command unit. Bloomberg
