Popular singer and actor Vitthaya Jetapai, best known by his stage name “Thanom Samthon”, died of liver cancer at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok late on Wednesday night. He was 60.
Friends and fans were shocked after learning about the death of the singer-cum-actor. He was pronounced dead at around 11pm on Wednesday at the public hospital, where he had been receiving treatment.
Thanom Samthon was a former member of Samthon, the first male band of the now-defunct Kita Records. Many songs of the three-member band were popular, particularly “Chao Phap Chong Chaoren” (long live the host). He also appeared in numerous soap operas and films.
The native of Phrae province was born in 1963. He had battled alcohol addiction and gone through business failures before returning to the entertainment industry.
His funeral rites will be held Wat Nuanchan in Bueng Kum district, Bangkok, according to his family.