Memory often endures not through grand ceremonies or historic milestones, but through small moments of everyday life — shared conversations after class, hurried meals between lectures, and the friendships formed during the uncertain first weeks of university.
For Law Class 40 at Thammasat University, those ordinary experiences carried an extraordinary dimension. Among the students beginning their studies in 1997 was Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati, then a first-year law student embarking on a journey that would unfold alongside hundreds of classmates rather than apart from them.
Nearly three decades later, many who studied with her remember not formality or distance, but an ease that allowed her to become part of the fabric of campus life.
One of the earliest memories dates back to May 11, 1997, during the traditional orientation programme at Thammasat University’s Tha Phra Chan campus. Like generations of students before them, freshmen gathered for activities designed to break down barriers through songs, games and group exercises.
Students sat on the floor together, laughed, sang and introduced themselves to strangers who would soon become friends.
In that setting, the princess participated naturally and without reservation.
For many students, the initial uncertainty centred on how they should behave around a member of the Royal Family in such an informal environment. That uncertainty quickly disappeared.
Asst Prof Taweesak Euaamornwanich, now Assistant to the Rector for Legal Affairs at Thammasat University, recalls that what stood out was how effortlessly she joined in.
“There was no sense of distance,” he recalled. “She took part in activities like everyone else.”
The same impression carried into the classroom.
During introductory sessions, lecturers often addressed an issue that made many faculty members slightly nervous: language. Because members of the Royal Family are normally referred to using royal vocabulary, some lecturers began by seeking permission to teach in plain language.
“Many students would glance towards Her Royal Highness, wondering how she would respond,” Asst Prof Taweesak said.
“But she never behaved as though special permission was required. She treated it as entirely normal, which helped lecturers feel more comfortable as well.”
While the Faculty of Law prepared a reception room for her on the fourth floor of the building, it was rarely the centre of her university life.
Assoc Prof Supreeya Kaewla-iad, now Dean of the Faculty of Law and one of her classmates, said the princess preferred spending her time in classrooms and with friends.
“She used the room occasionally, but most of the time she was with her classmates,” Assoc Prof Supreeya said.
The room would later take on a different role. Years after graduation, when the princess returned to teach Criminal Procedure Law to postgraduate students as a special lecturer, it became her working office.
The friendships formed during those university years generated countless personal memories.
One that remains particularly vivid for Asst Prof Taweesak occurred during a two-week academic study trip to France after the students’ second year. Thirteen students were selected to participate in an opportunity to spend time together outside the classroom.
During the trip, he bought a long marshmallow stick from a shop, and the princess took an interest and asked whether it was tasty. He then offered it for her to try.
After tasting it, she smiled and jokingly invoked an old Thai superstition. “It’s very sweet,” she remarked. “Don’t eat too much, or you’ll become vicious.”
Noticing the price tag of only seven francs, she suggested buying more to share with classmates.
For Asst Prof Taweesak, the exchange captured something that friends frequently observed: warmth, humour and consideration for others, even in the smallest moments.
Beyond her approachable nature, classmates were equally impressed by her discipline.
While carrying out numerous royal duties far beyond those faced by ordinary students, she maintained a consistent presence on campus. At the same time, she was also pursuing political science studies through Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.
Despite these competing responsibilities, she completed her law degree in just three and a half years and graduated with second-class honours.
For her classmates, it was an example of exceptional time management and determination.
Years later, those qualities would be reflected in her public service and legal work.
Assoc Prof Supreeya said one initiative that particularly demonstrated the princess’s commitment to using legal knowledge for the public good was her promotion of the Bangkok Rules — formally known as the United Nations Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders.
Adopted by the United Nations in 2010, the rules established international standards aimed at protecting the rights and dignity of female prisoners while supporting rehabilitation and reintegration.
“The Bangkok Rules demonstrate Her Royal Highness’s concern for all groups in society and her determination to create tangible change,” Assoc Prof Supreeya said.
“Lawyers often focus on police reform, courts or judicial procedures, but issues affecting prisoners have traditionally received far less attention. Her Royal Highness recognised their importance.”
For Asst Prof Taweesak, the princess’s example offers three enduring lessons for younger generations.
The first is humility — refusing to use status or privilege for personal advantage. The second is disciplined time management. The third is a commitment to using professional knowledge to improve society, particularly for those whose voices are often overlooked.
Assoc Prof Supreeya believes that legacy extends beyond royal service.
“She was a lawyer who consistently used her knowledge for the benefit of people and society,” she said. “We honour her not because she was a princess, but because of the contributions she made to the country and its people.”
For Thammasat University’s Faculty of Law, those contributions remain closely aligned with the institution’s own ideals: that legal education should serve not only the law itself, but society as a whole, she said.
And for those who shared classrooms, study trips and ordinary student experiences with her, the memories that remain are not of ceremony, but of a fellow student whose example continues to inspire long after graduation.