Home / Crime and Justice / Drunk Driving Kills Two: 'Thailand's MJ' Jailed
Drunk Driving Kills Two: 'Thailand's MJ' Jailed
22 Jul
Summary
- Pop star jailed for killing two while driving drunk.
- The singer was a famous impersonator known as 'Thailand's Michael Jackson'.
- Thailand has one of the world's worst traffic safety records.
Manasawin Nantasen, a 64-year-old pop singer famous in the late 1980s and 1990s as 'Thailand's Michael Jackson,' has been sentenced to two years in prison. The conviction stems from a fatal drunk driving incident in October 2024. While driving across a Bangkok bridge, Nantasen collided with a stationary motorbike, killing a 28-year-old woman and her 21-year-old brother, who later died from his injuries.
The singer, known for his fedora and moonwalk-inspired performances, surrendered to authorities. Court statements indicated he showed remorse by attending the victims' funeral and providing compensation to their families. Videos of his grief at the scene circulated widely on Thai social media.
This event underscores Thailand's critical road safety challenges. The World Health Organization ranks the country ninth out of 175 member nations for road traffic deaths, with an estimated 18,218 fatalities in 2021.
