Trying to Pay Rent... Thai Slum Youth Dies After 'Whiskey One-Shot Challenge'

Challenge with a 430,000 Won Fee for One Bottle of Whiskey
Hospitalized Immediately After Challenge but Ultimately Passed Away

A young disabled man from a poor family in Thailand who lived with his grandmother died after taking on a challenge on social networking services (SNS) to drink a large amount of whiskey at once in order to earn money.

A Thai young man, Thanakan Kanti, who died after taking on a challenge to 'one-shot' a large amount of whiskey for money to make a living, is seen selling wreaths at the market as usual. Photo captured from Thanakan Kanti's Facebook.

On the 29th, local media such as the Bangkok Post and The Nation reported that on the 25th in Chanthaburi Province, central Thailand, Tanakan Kanti (27) collapsed after drinking whiskey and died of acute heart failure early the next morning. According to a video circulating online, at a Christmas night party, Tanakan accepted a challenge to drink a bottle of whiskey in exchange for 30,000 baht (about 1.3 million KRW). He gulped down the whiskey in one go, then vomited in a state of exhaustion and lost consciousness. He was immediately taken to the hospital but never regained consciousness.

Tanakan’s grandmother tearfully told The Nation in an interview, "Tanakan went out saying he would earn 60,000 baht (about 2.6 million KRW) to pay overdue rent, but this is what happened. Tanakan took care of everything for me. Now that he is gone, I really don’t know how I will continue living."

Police investigations revealed that Tanakan was paid 10,000 baht (about 430,000 KRW) per 350ml bottle of whiskey and drank at least two bottles, one glass, and a quarter bottle of beer.

Tanakan, who came from a slum in Bangkok, was raised by his grandmother after his parents separated when he was two months old. Since the age of seven, he had supported himself by selling wreaths at the market. Having a mental disability and having been bullied, he first became known through videos of him doing impromptu rap to attract customers on the street. Later, he became famous as a person who performed all kinds of humiliating acts for money, such as eating wasabi, dirty food, lubricant gel, and dancing naked. Tanakan once said about his actions, "If it’s to feed my family, I am willing to endure bullying and humiliation just to get the small change given by the rich."

After his tragic story spread, local netizens mourned him while condemning the life-threatening challenge as "trash content," demanding its removal online. They also called for police investigations into those responsible and livelihood support for Tanakan’s grandmother.

Another SNS influencer, Guntoot Pongpaibunwet, who helped cover the costs of handling Tanakan’s body, criticized, "People quickly made and enjoyed the content, but when it came time to take responsibility, not a single person stepped forward."

Local police arrested one male influencer who paid Tanakan to drink whiskey on charges of negligent homicide and also detained another male influencer related to the challenge.