The king of Thailand is counted among the wealthiest monarchs on earth, yet his gravely ill son lies in a hospital in neighboring Malaysia, his condition worsening by the day, and he says he cannot afford the emergency surgery that might save him. That son, Chakriwat, is one of four princes banished from Thailand as children and stripped of their royal status after their mother was cast out by the king. Now, decades later, a man born into one of the world’s most powerful dynasties finds himself facing death in a foreign country, separated from his family, his savings nearly gone, attended only by his girlfriend and her relatives. Chakriwat’s life has been marked by hardship from an early age.
Around the age of thirteen, he began to suffer from a serious medical condition that causes tumors to develop in his body again and again. Hospitals, examinations, and operations became a constant part of his teenage years. Rather than being crushed by the burden, he chose medicine as his path, studying to become a doctor himself despite ongoing treatment, surgeries, and hearing problems. He eventually earned his medical degree and became a physician.
The four brothers grew up in exile in the United States, far from the country of their birth. They completed their education, began careers, and for years nurtured the hope that one day they would be allowed to return home. Everything seemed possible to change in 2023 when Chakriwat and his brother Vacharaesorn finally arrived in Thailand. It was their first return to their homeland in twenty-seven years.
Many observers saw the visit as a potential beginning of reconciliation with the palace. The brothers visited temples and sites connected to the royal family, went to a hospital, and paid respects to their ancestors. Their appearance drew enormous public interest. But the long-awaited family reunion never came.
Instead, a rupture emerged among the brothers themselves. Over the following months, the fracture became impossible to hide. That summer, Chakriwat posted photographs from the Malaysian capital showing him together with his girlfriend, Nuch, and her family. He thanked them for their support and wrote that with them, he did not feel alone.
It soon became clear that his presence in Malaysia was no accident. He had been searching for a way back into Thailand for treatment, but his health was deteriorating rapidly. The seriousness of his situation became public when he shared video of himself suffering an episode, disoriented and initially unable to understand what was happening around him. Nuch was at his side, speaking to him, trying to keep him conscious, and calling for medical help.
Chakriwat described severe weakness in his arms and legs, recurring episodes, and moments when he could no longer stand on his own. Doctors discovered two large brain tumors. Later he found himself in intensive care, struggling with swelling in the brain and difficulties with speech and eating. According to Chakriwat, several physicians warned him that without urgent intervention, he could become completely unable to move or even die.
For a man who had lived with this disease for more than thirty years and endured multiple operations, the situation had become genuinely critical. And it was at this moment that the public learned just how isolated he had become. Chakriwat revealed that he had not been in contact with his mother and brothers for several years. From the outside, the four brothers in exile had always appeared to be a close-knit family supporting one another.
But after he was hospitalized, Chakriwat stated openly that he had no relationship with his family. He said that after the earlier separation, he had continued to write to his relatives and send them messages, but received no replies. He then shared another troubling detail. He claimed that he had been sent a document to sign stating that if something happened to him, or if he became disabled, his family would bear no responsibility for him.
He did not fully explain the causes of the break. But he made clear that disagreements had been building for a long time. He said he disapproved of some of his relatives’ actions. Discussion in Thailand speculated that one reason might be the brothers’ conduct after their return to the country.
Chakriwat himself believed that they should live quietly, like ordinary citizens, avoid attracting unnecessary attention, and avoid giving the impression that they had rejoined the royal court. After Chakriwat spoke publicly about his sudden decline, his three brothers recorded a message. They said they were worried about him and wanted to help him. At the same time, they admitted they did not know exactly where he was or how his treatment was proceeding.
According to them, their mother was also very concerned and had tried to find specialists for him in the United States. But while the brothers were recording messages and saying they wanted to help, it was his girlfriend who sat at his hospital bedside. Nuch Naovakhet is a Thai designer who studied in New York and has worked in the fashion industry for many years. She stayed with him through the hardest moments, and her family had supported him even before he entered the hospital.
It was she who was present when his own family was not. Yet the disease was not his only problem. Chakriwat also began to speak openly about money. He said that his American health insurance no longer covered the treatment he needed, and that surgery in the United States or Malaysia was extremely expensive.
According to him, his own funds were running out. He began publicly asking for help to return to Thailand for treatment. He wanted to have the operation at home because he trusted Thai doctors and hoped to see specialists who already knew his complicated medical history. But for the royal sons, returning to the country had not been easy for a long time.
A year earlier, his brothers had attempted to enter Thailand from the Malaysian side of the border, but after checks they were not admitted across the border. In his appeals, Chakriwat specifically urged people not to search for political meaning in what was happening and not to connect his illness with disputes surrounding the monarchy. He spoke about his health, his need for urgent surgery, and his desire to go home. His father gave no public response.
Neither the king nor the palace issued any statement. No announcements came that the royal family planned to arrange Chakriwat’s return or help with his treatment. The king of Thailand is among the world’s richest monarchs, while his son publicly stated that his money for treatment was nearly exhausted. Thousands of people in comments asked the same question: does his father know how seriously ill his son is, and what is happening to him now?
The contrast with the current king of Malaysia was difficult to ignore. Sultan Ibrahim himself had experienced the severe illness of his own child. Eleven years earlier, his twenty-five-year-old son had died of cancer. Throughout the illness, the father had stayed at his side and took his son’s death very hard.
Now the son of another king was fighting for his life on Malaysian soil, but his family situation was very different. Eventually, Chakriwat decided he could wait no longer to return home. On October fifth, he announced that he had contacted his former American surgeon and requested records from an earlier operation that doctors in Malaysia needed. By that time, the medical team for the new surgery had already been formed, and Chakriwat wrote that the operation would take place soon.
The story is far from finished. The surgery and recovery still lie ahead, and the question of his return home remains open. For now, the person beside him is his girlfriend, the one who did not disappear when the situation became especially difficult.