An autopsy has found that the death of the Udon Thani-native singer, who died after having a series of "neck-cracking" massages, was due to a blood infection and a swollen spinal cord.
Dr Somchaichoti Piyawatvela, chief of the Udon Thani Provincial Public Health Office, spoke to the press on Monday regarding singer Chayada Prao-hom, who died on Sunday after sustaining severe injuries to her brain and spinal cord.
An x-ray showed that Chayada had a swollen spinal cord, while a medical diagnosis given when she was hospitalised found that she had limb fatigue. No issues relating to her neck were found.
Dr Panuwat Panket, chief of the Health Service Support Department, said the department has given the provincial public health office full investigative authority.
"We cannot conclude just yet whether the massage was the cause of her death. What we must do is to question the therapists who treated her," he said, adding that the authorities have not been able to locate them.
Initial investigation found that the massage shop where she received treatment, located in the Udon Thani municipality, was legally registered as a therapeutic massage facility.
According to a source, the shop has seven therapists, all of whom have completed a 150-hour training session, as the law requires.
Before her death, Chayada posted on her Facebook, suspecting the neck-cracking motions during the massage caused her to fall ill.
Chananat Saeng-Arun, secretary-general of the Thai Traditional Medical Council, insisted that motions that manipulate the neck, such as twisting or crackling, were not included in the training session and that most of the massaging motions on the course mainly used hands and palms.
By law, Mr Chananat said there were two types of massage therapists -- those who provided relaxation treatment and those trained in traditional Thai medicine.
He said masseurs providing relaxation treatment have to pass 150 hours of training, while traditional Thai massage therapists are required to complete 372 hours of training to be certified by the Thai Traditional Medical Council.
Chayada's death came under scrutiny as a result of her Facebook post last month, saying that she had developed numbness in her arms after the massage session on Oct 5 to relieve shoulder stiffness.
Her condition worsened, yet she returned to the same massage shop at least two more times. Her condition further deteriorated, and a medical scan revealed swelling to her brainstem, which led to medical treatment.
She was sent to a intensive care unit (ICU) on Nov 18 before her death was announced last weekend.
