Remembering Princess Pa’s people-centred legacy of service
Thailand remembers Princess Bajrakitiyabha’s lifelong dedication to justice, compassion, disaster relief and opportunities for the vulnerable.
A period of profound grief has descended upon the Thai people nationwide following the Royal Household Bureau’s announcement that Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati Krom Luang Rajasarinisiribajra Mahavajrarajadhita passed away on June 11, 2026.
Amid the sorrow, Thai hearts are filled with remembrance of “Princess Pa”, a royal figure who helped drive modern social change. Her Royal Highness devoted herself to public service, using her legal expertise and deep compassion to place people at the centre of her work.
Throughout her life of service, Her Royal Highness used knowledge, perseverance and opportunity to help restore the lives of the disadvantaged, enabling them to stand with dignity in society and look towards a better future.
Inspiration and royal words remembered by the people
Looking back to the source of Her Royal Highness’s great compassion, Princess Bajrakitiyabha once spoke of the inspiration behind her social work. It came from having witnessed the royal duties of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great from a young age.
Her Royal Highness once said:
“Having followed my grandfather on his visits to various places, and having seen him work for the people throughout his life, I absorbed those lessons and thought that when I grew up, I wanted to do work that would benefit the people and the country.”
That inspiration, combined with Her Royal Highness’s intellect and ability as a “lawyer princess”, led her towards a path of service dedicated to building greater equality in society. Her Royal Highness focused particularly on helping those who lacked opportunities within the justice system.
After completing her legal studies, Her Royal Highness visited the Central Women’s Correctional Institution and was deeply moved by the hardship faced by female inmates and children living with imprisoned mothers.
Her Royal Highness therefore donated 300,000 baht from her personal funds as initial capital to establish the Kamlangjai, or Inspire, Project on October 31, 2006. The project was created to extend opportunities and provide support in areas that state assistance had not fully reached.
At the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the project in 2016, Her Royal Highness spoke of her royal aspiration:
“I started this project partly because I was inspired by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who worked to help disadvantaged people in Thai society. Another reason was that after I studied law and later worked in a related field, I saw that disadvantaged groups could not access the justice system. This became the starting point for helping disadvantaged people in the justice process, beginning with prisoners.”
From Kamlangjai to the Bangkok Rules
Her Royal Highness placed great importance on pregnant female inmates and young children, emphasising their basic rights and the need to give innocent children a chance.
Her Royal Highness once said:
“Children born in prison have done nothing wrong. They should be given the opportunity to grow up with quality care and receive proper hygienic support.”
During a visit to follow up on the Kamlangjai Project at Khae Noi Temporary Prison in Phetchabun, Her Royal Highness observed rehabilitation work and the application of the sufficiency economy philosophy.
Her Royal Highness spoke warmly with inmates, listened to them and offered encouragement at close range, saying:
“I am glad to meet everyone today. The work here may be hard, but it is not overcrowded. If in the future you can receive vocational training and use it to earn an honest living, you may become role models for the project.”
Her Royal Highness’s dedication not only helped revive the lives of those who had made mistakes in Thailand, but also enabled the country to help set international standards on the world stage.
Her Royal Highness played a key role in advancing the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders, known globally as the Bangkok Rules.
This intellectual legacy reflects a principle Her Royal Highness consistently upheld: justice must go hand in hand with compassion.
Her Royal Highness once said:
“Punishing offenders is necessary under the law, but returning good people to society and giving them the chance to begin life anew are also important in helping to build a safe and sustainable society.”
The compassion of Friends in Need (of “PA”) in times of hardship
In the field of disaster relief, when people faced severe hardship, the image of Her Royal Highness working tirelessly with the Friends in Need (of “PA”) Volunteers Foundation of the Thai Red Cross Society remains deeply etched in public memory.
Her Royal Highness played a central role in mobilising funds, sorting relief supplies and personally visiting flood victims in remote areas. No matter how difficult the conditions, Her Royal Highness would wade through water and mud to deliver relief bags promptly to those in need.
On every occasion, Her Royal Highness stressed to officials and volunteers the true heart of public assistance, saying:
“Helping disaster victims must be done quickly and thoroughly, because people’s suffering cannot wait. We must pay attention to every detail so that what we send to them can truly ease their hardship.”
On one occasion, while mobilising help and receiving donated goods, Her Royal Highness spoke firmly and honestly before the public to reassure donors:
“When we receive money, we do not use it for anything else... Every baht goes into the Friends in Need (of ‘PA’) Volunteers Foundation of the Thai Red Cross Society, to help people who are truly suffering.”
Today, although the passing of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha has brought tears and profound sorrow to the Thai people nationwide, the story of Her Royal Highness’s work, service and boundless compassion will remain forever in the hearts of the people.
