Thai health ministry clarifies 20-year-old singer Ping Chayada's death unrelated to massage complications

By Linh Chi December 15, 2024 | 03:29 pm PT

Thailand's Minister of Public Health, Somsak Thepsuthin, announced that the death of the 20-year-old singer Ping Chayada was due to spinal cord inflammation and not complications from a neck massage, as previously speculated.

rAccording to a report from Khaosod, cited by Dan Tri newspaper, the minister efuted claims that massage sessions at a facility in Udon Thani Province were the cause of her death.

He clarified that medical records showed Ping had been experiencing persistent pain since Oct.5 and sought medical attention on Oct. 28.

Over several hospitalizations, she underwent various examinations including X-rays and MRI scans. Further treatment between Nov. 6-11 at the orthopedic department of Udon Thani Hospital, which included additional MRI scans, showed no structural injuries but revealed symptoms of myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord. After receiving medical treatment, her condition initially improved, and she was sent home.

Thai singer, Ping Chayada. Photo courtesy of Chayadas Facebook

Thai singer Ping Chayada. Photo from Chayada's Facebook

However, Chayada's health declined after she suffered seizures and was readmitted to the hospital on November 22. Her condition worsened, leading to severe seizures and systemic weakness, eventually resulting in her being placed in the ICU. She died on December 8 due to septic shock from a blood infection.

The medical reports indicated no fractures or dislocations in Chayada’s neck from the MRI results, leading Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health to dismiss any connection between her death and the neck massages she received.

Before her death, Chayada had detailed on social media about receiving three massage sessions at a Thai massage parlor where neck-twisting techniques were used. Her first two visits involved these maneuvers, and after a more intense third session, she began to experience numbness, pain, and muscle weakness, eventually leading to the paralysis of her right arm and her subsequent hospitalization.

Earlier, Somsak Kreechai, the Deputy Director of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, verified that the massage parlor involved met all legal standards and that the therapists employed there possessed the necessary certifications and licenses.