Dr Chakriwat "Than Aong" Vivacharawongse, the 43-year-old third son of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, says he is seeking to return to Thailand for urgent brain surgery as his health worsens in Malaysia.
The physician says he has two large brain tumours and has been warned by several neurologists that further delays could leave him bedridden or result in his death. In his latest public update on Tuesday 22 September 2026, he wrote: "My health current situation...... no operation yet, I am scared...."
Dr Chakriwat says treatment in Malaysia has become unaffordable as his savings run out, while his US health insurance has ended. He has said he wants treatment in Thailand because Thai doctors are highly capable and have treated him successfully before.
Long history of neurological illness
Dr Chakriwat has lived with neurofibromatosis type 2 since adolescence, a rare genetic condition now generally known as NF2-related schwannomatosis. The disorder can cause tumours to grow along nerves, including around the brain and spinal cord.
Such tumours are not necessarily cancerous, but their position can still lead to severe neurological problems. No treating doctor has publicly confirmed that Dr Chakriwat's current tumours are malignant, their size or location, or the precise surgery being proposed.
In a personal account published in 2015, he said he had undergone 10 open operations as well as Gamma Knife and CyberKnife procedures. He also said in 2020 that he was receiving chemotherapy.
He has described periods in which he could not stand, as well as losing bladder and bowel control. Those symptoms have not been independently confirmed by a treating hospital.
Thailand treatment plan remains unclear
Dr Chakriwat recently displayed what he said was a newly issued Thai national identity card, reportedly delivered to him in Malaysia. However, no Thai hospital has announced that it will receive him, and no neurosurgeon or surgical date has been publicly confirmed.
It is also unclear whether he can safely travel on a commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur, or whether specialist medical transport would be needed. There is no public evidence that he is legally barred from entering Thailand or faces an immigration restriction.
Brothers offer help
Dr Chakriwat's brothers have publicly offered support. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse said their mother, Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, was extremely worried and had tried to identify leading doctors in the United States.
However, the brothers said they had been unable to contact him and did not know precisely where he was or what medication and treatment he was receiving. It remains unclear whether direct contact has since been made.
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24 September 2026
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