Chonsawat Asavahame, a key political figure in Samut Prakan province, died at the age of 54 early Friday morning after driving in a practice car race in Buri Ram.
Chonsawat reportedly passed out after participating in the race at Chang International Circuit in Buri Ram on Thursday afternoon and was rushed to Buri Ram Hospital.
Initially he was suspected of having suffered from heatstroke but was later diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome.
The politician was pronounced dead at Buri Ram Hospital at 1.15am on Friday and his body would arrive in Samut Prakan for funeral rites on Friday afternoon.
Chonsawat was the son of former deputy interior minister Vatana Asavahame. He was the chief of the Samut Prakan provincial administrative organisation and was married to popular singer Nantida Kaewbuasai. In 2022, he became embroiled in a temple fund corruption scandal.
In 2016 he was hospitalised for a possible heart attack.