BANGKOK: The eldest child of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn has been hospitalised due to a heart problem and her condition has stabilised to a certain level, the royal palace said on Thursday.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha, 44, was taken ill after losing consciousness early on Wed­nes­day in northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province and was treated at a local hospital.

She was flown by helicopter to Bangkok after her condition stabilised at a certain level, the palace said in a statement, without elaborating. The princess is one of three children of King Vajiralongkorn who have formal titles, making her eligible for the throne under a 1924 Palace Law of Succession and the country’s constitution.

King Vajiralongkorn has yet to formally designate an heir since becoming king in 2016 and there has been no official discussion on the prospect of the princess taking the throne.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2022