Regarding the case of the actor and travel YouTuber, Ray McDonald, also known as Ray McDonald, who passed away at his residence in the Phatthanakan area, with his wife discovering the body on the morning of 19 Aug 2026. Recently, on the morning of 20 Aug 2026, the family along with former singer and popular YouTuber Leo Phut, also known as Phutthipong Sriwat, went to collect Ray's body at the forensic institute of the Police Hospital before Leo Phut spoke to the media.
What has the forensic department confirmed as the cause of death?
"It's as expected. It was coronary artery blockage causing heart ischemia. The good news is Ray passed away peacefully without pain. The doctors said the symptoms are like falling asleep without pain—he felt something was wrong but then gradually relaxed and went to sleep as his heart stopped."
So it wasn't like an acute heart attack?
"I think it was still a heart attack. A heart attack means blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, causing the heart to stop. But the underlying cause was the blocked coronary arteries."
Regarding coronary artery blockage, the cause is... from my own experience, because I have it too. It's related to lifestyle, diet, bad cholesterol, eating unhealthy food which causes fats and calcium to build up in the arteries, restricting blood flow.
Now, Ray probably had warning signs. From my experience, the symptom is tightness around the upper abdomen area. Many people confuse this with acid reflux because distinguishing between them is difficult.
Therefore, in this case, I want to warn everyone that if you have such symptoms, suspect coronary artery blockage first. The initial test is ultrasound. If that shows nothing, you need to do a treadmill test with electrodes attached to monitor your heart's electrical activity.
Had Ray complained about tiredness, breathlessness, or unusual symptoms before?
"Ray didn't usually complain, but I noticed he looked tired. For example, when we did the same activity, Ray seemed the most exhausted. At first, I didn't worry because I knew he was always mentally active thinking about work and might not sleep well, so I thought he was just tired and needed rest."
Did you ever suggest Ray go for a health check?
"Yes, I did. When I had my checkup, I told him, ‘Hey, when you have time, get checked too.’ But he was stubborn and didn’t like going to the doctor."
How many coronary arteries were blocked?
"Three. From what I understand, forgive me if I'm wrong, all the arteries are linked. If only one is blocked, others compensate by pumping harder to balance. But when all three are blocked, symptoms appear. It's common to have three blocked arteries. (So Ray had three blockages?) Yes."
There was news that Ray drank heavily, but rumors say he had quit drinking for over ten years?
"Oh, nearly 30 years he hasn’t drunk alcohol. He really didn’t drink at all, just ate snacks. Actually, when watching football, he just ate snacks. There was no need to hide anything about drinking; if he drank, he would say so, but he really didn’t."
How have you been supporting the family?
"We support each other all the time. Our families are like my own and like many others. We are more than friends; we help each other."
What about the future plans for the company Rayron?
"Oh, we joked that if any of the three of us pass away, the others will continue. But honestly, it’s too soon to talk about that now. Ultimately, the decision to continue or not should respect the wishes of his heirs or his wife. We don’t want to think about that now."
Click to readEntertainment news. More