HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha, hospitalized since 2022 due to a heart condition, has been named Deputy Commander of the Royal Security Command and given the rank of senior general, according to an announcement published on 20 August in the Royal Gazette.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha is the oldest of King Vajiralongkorn’s 7 children and the only child born to his first wife, HRH Princess Soamsawali. She previously worked at the Thai Permanent Mission to the UN and the Office of the Attorney General in Bangkok. In February 2021, she was transferred to the Royal Security Command, the military unit responsible for the security of the King and his family, and given the rank of general. She previously held the position of Chief of Staff of the Royal Guards

The Princess’ new appointment, effective from 17 August, comes almost three years since she was hospitalized. It was reported on 15 December 2022 that she collapsed from a heart condition while training her dogs for the 2022 Thailand Working Dog Championship of the Royal Thai Army at the Military Dog Battalion in Pak Chong District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. She was taken to the Pak Chong Nana Hospital before being transferred via helicopter to Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, where she remains hospitalized.

The Bureau of the Royal Household said in a 7 January 2023 statement that the Princess collapsed due to severe cardiac arrhythmia relating to a mycoplasma infection. She is unconscious and is being given antibiotics, while her heart, lungs, and kidneys continue to be treated with medication and medical equipment.

Last Friday (15 August), in a new statement which came over two years after the previous update on the Princess’ condition, the Bureau of the Royal Household said that she was being treated for a severe bloodstream infection.

Another statement was issued on 19 August, stating that the Princess continues to suffer from low blood pressure. She is being given medication to stabilize her blood pressure, along with antibiotics, renal replacement therapy, and respiratory support.