Bangkok: A tragic incident has shocked social media users in Thailand as popular influencer Thanakarn "Bank Leicester" Kanthee, 21, lost his life to a fatal drinking challenge that promised a mere 30,000 baht (₹75,228) reward.
Already intoxicated, Kanthee consumed two bottles of whisky in just 20 minutes, responding to a dangerous bet. The young influencer immediately lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead from acute alcohol poisoning.
Thai authorities have taken swift action, arresting the organizer of the deadly challenge. Police seized multiple items from the suspect's residence, including a pistol, bank passbooks, mobile phones, and SIM cards. The perpetrator, who confessed to the crime, faces up to 10 years in prison and a 20,000 baht fine for reckless behavior leading to death.
This wasn't Kanthee's first brush with dangerous challenges. Reports from the Bangkok Post reveal his previous participation in similar stunts, including consuming a 350ml bottle of Regency whiskey at a birthday party for 10,000 baht. His extreme challenges extended to drinking hand sanitizer and wasabi for monetary compensation.
A heartbreaking social media post by Kanthee has since gone viral, revealing the desperate motivation behind his dangerous stunts: "I am willing to be bullied and insulted to just get scraps of money from the rich people in order to provide for my family."
The incident has sparked outrage across social media platforms, with users condemning both the challenge organizers and bystanders who failed to intervene. Medical experts emphasize that consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short time can lead to fatal alcohol poisoning, highlighting the deadly risks of such challenges.
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the dangerous intersection between poverty, social media pressure, and extreme challenges, raising urgent questions about the responsibility of content creators, viewers, and platform administrators in preventing similar incidents.