A Thai influencer died after chugging an entire whiskey bottle for views.

Thanakarn Gandhi, 27, downed the 350-ml bottle of alcohol in one go for 30,000 baht (700 GBP) at a party in Chanthaburi province on December 26.

The cash-strapped influencer, who once said he 'was willing to be bullied and insulted just to get scraps of money from the rich to support his family', was seen downing glasses of alcohol and even a bottle of Durex lube in exchange for banknotes.

Other revellers egged on Thanakarn, who also goes by the online name 'Bank Leicester', and recorded him guzzling the alcoholic drinks on their phones.

However, Thanakarn fell ill soon after. Footage shows him leaning back on a table apparently in a daze. Medics later rushed him out of the party venue on a trolley.

Thanakarn was taken to the Songpeenong Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:40 am. Doctors said a preliminary exam found he had died of acute heart failure. His body was taken to the Phrapokklao Hospital for a more thorough post-mortem examination.

Deputy national police chief Police General Nirundorn Luamsri said: 'If the medical examiner determines that he died of unnatural causes due to someone else's actions, the police will treat it as a criminal case. For now, we are waiting for the lab results.'

Ekachart, the son of the event organiser, denied that Thanakarn had been hired to chug drinks. He said the deceased had attended the party on his own.

He claimed: 'Thanakarn had already finished one bottle of liquor before vomiting. Many people tried to stop him when he tried to drink more, but he refused. I later learned that his condition was worsening, so I told them to take him to a hospital.'

He allegedly admitted that he had given Thanakarn money 'because he felt sorry' for the struggling influencer.

Ekachart's friend Tong said he was assigned to look after Thanakarn after he collapsed.

He said: 'I'd been taking care of Thanakarn throughout the evening. I was terrified when his nails started turning blue.'

Blue-tinged gums or nails are a sign of severe alcohol poisoning.

Thanakarn was born to a poor family living in the slums of Bangkok. His grandmother Lek, 80, raised him after his parents separated. At seven years old, Thanakarn began selling garlands at a local market to help pay the bills.

He gained online fame by rapping while selling flowers. However, local media reported he was often the subject of bullying by other social media influencers. He was said to have endured the abuse in order to earn money.

His grandmother Lek said: 'Currently, I live in this house with my son and Thanakarn, just the three of us. Thanakarn took care of everything for me. Now that he's gone, I have no idea how I will continue to manage.'

Medical expert Parkphum Dejhutsadin said people have different reactions to excessive alcohol consumption.

He explained: 'Consuming large amounts of alcohol rapidly prevents the body from metabolising it effectively, leading to a spike in blood alcohol levels. This raises the risk of choking, vomiting, difficulty breathing, or unconsciousness.'

He added that an alcohol level above 400 mg per cent can lead to unconsciousness or death.

(1 GBP = 42.61 THB)