A Thai man has died after accidentally drinking toilet cleaner he had mistaken for a fizzy drink while recovering from a hangover.

Natthawut Phonkham, 44, was reportedly searching for something to ease his discomfort when he found a soft drink bottle containing approximately half a litre of liquid at his home in Buriram province, northeastern Thailand.

His sister, Pranom Kruechan, said Natthawut told her he had been drinking heavily the night before. Believing the contents of the green soda bottle to be a soft drink, he consumed a portion of the liquid on October 12 at around 11 am.

Pranom said: 'Shortly afterwards, my brother began vomiting and became dizzy, so I rushed him to Satuek Hospital. Our relatives also brought the bottle along, which was later confirmed to contain a corrosive toilet cleaner.'

Medical staff administered an injection and prescribed medication, after which Natthawut was discharged and allowed to return home with advice to monitor his condition.

However, approximately five hours later, he collapsed. Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His sudden death raised concerns among relatives, who questioned why stomach pumping had not been carried out at the hospital.

Dr Pichet Phuedkhuntod, Chief of the Buriram Provincial Public Health Office, clarified that the substance consumed was an acidic toilet cleaner commonly used for rust removal.

He said: 'In such cases, gastric lavage is generally avoided because inserting a tube can risk pushing the corrosive substance back into the oesophagus, potentially causing perforation or serious infection.'

The doctor added that Natthawut had initially shown signs of improvement and was discharged with instructions to return if symptoms worsened. The family had been advised to seek further care if his condition deteriorated.

He also issued a warning to the public against storing hazardous chemicals in drink containers, stressing that such practices can lead to fatal accidents.

Local health clinics have since been instructed to inspect households in their areas to ensure dangerous substances are properly labelled and securely stored.