20-Year-Old Thai Singer Dies After Alleged Health Complications From Thai Massages

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According to the Bangkok Post, Chayada Prao-hom, a luk thung singer, had sought a massage at a shop in Udon Thani on 5 October for backache after work.

"After the first session, everything felt normal. But two days later, I started feeling pain at the nape of my neck. I thought it was just a normal post-massage ache (there was some neck twisting during the session), so I took some painkillers and continued with my routine," she explained in a Facebook post in November, addressing her absence from work in the month before her death.

A week later, Chayada said her condition worsened as her arm began to feel numb.

Unfortunately, her symptoms escalated. Two weeks after the second massage, she experienced intense pain and stiffness, making it impossible for her to lie down comfortably.

"My mother is a massage therapist, and I've been learning massage techniques since I was a child. I love massages, so I didn't suspect anything serious. I thought it was just an after-effect of the treatment," she wrote.

However, her condition continued to deteriorate. She began experiencing tingling sensations in her fingers, hot and cold flushes, and increasing numbness that spread to her chest.

Eventually, she became too weak to lift her right arm, stating in her post that she could only use less than half of her body.

She also attached a photo of a neck X-ray, but did not provide any details about what it revealed.

According to SCMP, her death has sparked concerns about the potential risks of massage therapy, particularly involving "neck-twisting" movements by untrained masseuses and when patrons have pre-existing health conditions.

Thailand Department of Health Service Support deputy director-general Arkom Praditsuwan said officials would investigate whether the massage shop that Chayada visited was licenced to provide the service.

"What we need to examine is whether the massage service they delivered [to Chayada] was a correct practice and aligned with the standard pattern for Thai traditional massage.

"At present, Thai massage has been applied by some practitioners using various techniques, thereby falling below standards or leading to a service that might cause injury," he said.