The well-known Thai actor and travel content creator Ray MacDonald, who died suddenly on Wednesday at age 49, was suffering from coronary artery disease, according to his wife and close friends.
An autopsy on Wednesday found two of the actor’s arteries were 90% blocked and the other one was 70% blocked.
Home security video showed the award-winning actor taking a seat on a downstairs sofa before adjusting slightly as if to find a more comfortable position in the early hours of Wednesday. His wife found him dead in that position at 6.30am.
Sarinya Jintanawararak said her husband had only recently had time to stay home after continuous travel the previous month. During his recent break, she said he had spent time with their son, taking him to school and playing football with him as well as giving him nightly kisses.
She admitted that Ray disliked visiting doctors and had even avoided seeing a dentist when he had a toothache. Sometimes, she said, she had to resort to tricking him into seeking medical attention.
Singer and actor Putthipong “Leo Put” Sriwat, agreed that Ray preferred to avoid medical checks. However, he said the actor had recently shown signs of his condition, becoming exhausted easily during activity. He thought his friend was not getting enough sleep and encouraged him to visit a doctor.
Mr Putthipong related a physician’s warning that severe coronary artery disease could lead a patient to become unconscious and die. He recommended that people be aware of signs of heart disease and have regular checkups.
