A Criminal Court has sentenced a singer known as Thailand's ‘Michael Jackson’ to two years in prison for a drink-driving crash that killed two people in Bangkok in late 2024.
Manasawin Nantasen, better known by his stage name ‘Tik Shiro’, rose to fame in the late 80s and 90s for his signature fedora hat and energetic dance performances, earning comparisons to the US pop icon Michael Jackson.
On June 24th, the Min Buri Criminal Court found the 64-year-old singer guilty of driving under the influence causing death, reckless driving causing death and reckless driving causing damage to property.
The case stemmed from a crash that occurred at about 4am on October 10, 2024, on a flyover crossing Thepharak Road on Sukhaphiban 5 Road in Bangkok's Sai Mai district.
According to the court, the defendant was driving a black van when it crashed into a Honda motorcycle carrying siblings Tienporn Sivapornpitak, 28, and Chakraphat Sivapornpitak, 21.
Tienporn died at the scene, while Chakraphat, a second-year university student, suffered severe injuries after falling about 10 metres from the flyover. He died in hospital on March 18th, 2025.
Investigators found that Manasawin's blood alcohol level exceeded the legal limit of 50 mg/dL at the time of the crash.
During the proceedings, the defendant paid 3.5 million baht in compensation to the victims' family, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement on civil damages.
The sentence was reduced by half to two years because he pleaded guilty.
As both sides had not yet settled compensation claims, the court declined to suspend the prison term and also ordered the revocation of his driver's licence.
