Thai actor Winai Kraibutr, of 'Nang Nak' fame, passes at 54

Thai actor Winai Kraibutur was reported by The Nation to have passed away at 54 due to treatment complications in Bangkok. His death came as a shock to many, as he was one of Thailand’s most recognisable actors back in the 2000s.

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Winai Kraibutr is a Thai actor best known for his works in the 2000s that have become cult classics in Thailand, such as ‘Nang Nak’, and ‘Bang Rajan’.

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Born on June 16, 1969, Winai Kraibutur was born in Ko Lanta, Krabi, Thailand. He was a Thai actor of Muslim ethnicity, reports Moviefone.

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According to Sanook, Winai Kraibutr was born to an impoverished family and had struggled financially when growing up.

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However, Sanook reports that Winai Kraibutur was able to attend university in later years and graduated from Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University with a bachelor's degree, and later a master's.

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Matichon reports that Winai Kraibutr entered the entertainment industry in the 90s, where he first started out as a model and was featured in various Thai music videos.

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Bangkok Biz News reports that Winai Kraibutr transitioned into acting after by acting in several television series for Channel 3 and 5, until he hit superstardom on the big screen.

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Winai Kraibutr had his biggest break ever when he landed the role in the 1999 film, ‘Nang Nak’, by playing the husband of the film’s titular character, Nak.

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The film was a major hit locally and outside of Thailand, and was reported by Matichon to have earned Winai Kraibutr the moniker of ‘100 million hero’ from the huge earnings he had after playing the role of Mak, in ‘Nang Nak’.

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After ‘Nang Nak’, Sanook reports that Winai Kraibutr had another big break with the film ‘Bang Rajan’.

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Winai Kraibutr’s acting also once earned him an acting award. According to Bangkok Biz News, he once earned an award for Best Supporting Actor in the 2016 Golden Television Awards.

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Sanook stated that Winai Kraibutr’s roles afterward were not as popular and his fame diminished then, and he moved to also focus more on his personal business ventures.

Image: winaikraibutr / Instagram

8days reports that Winai Kraibutr had been suffering from a skin disease for 5 years leading up to his death. He was reported to have been suffering from a rare autoimmune disease, bullous pemphigoid, that causes multiple dark lesions to form on his skin.

Image: winaikraibutr / Instagram

Due to the complications of the disease, Amarin TV states that Winai Kraibutr had been forced to give up on acting and to focus primarily on his business ventures, such as his fertilizer business and online hawking of goods.

Image: winaikraibutr / Instagram

According to a report from Sanook, Winai Kraibutr had sought treatment for his disease from conventional and alternative sources, such as through engaging in spiritual remedies where he converted from Islam to Buddhism in hopes it would help with recovery.

Image: winaikraibutr / Instagram

Winai Kraibutr died from complications during treatment on March 20. According to 8days, he died as a result of a blood infection that caused him to have a seizure on March 17, after which his heart stopped three days later.

Image: winaikraibutr / Instagram