A video game addict from Thailand collapsed and died in front of his computer as he played through the night.17-year-old Piyawat Harikun from Udon Thani, northern Thailand who was on school holidays was using the free time to stay in his room and play video games on his PC.
Piyawat’s father Jaranwit, said they found him collapsed from the computer chair and was slumped against a PC tower on the floor when they went to the bedroom on Monday afternoon (Oct.5)
He said there was a pile of takeaway boxes on the desk and a bottle of fizzy pop at his feet, while his headphones were resting on top of another computer tower.
According to him, he would stay up all-night then draw the curtains in the day to continue his fixation with gaming, spending hours on the computer at the home. He added they would take food to his room and urged him to stop, but Piyawat just didn’t want to cut down on his obsession.
Jaranwit, an air force officer, said he tried to revive his son but he was already dead.
He said: ‘I called his name and said ‘wake up, wake up’ but he did not respond. I could see he was dead.’
Medics who examined the body said the teenager died from a stroke, which they believe was caused by playing the computer constantly through the night.
Jaranwit admitted that his son was a gaming addict, saying: ‘My son was smart and always did great at school but he had a major problem with gaming addiction.
‘I tried to warn him about his relentless long hours playing games and he promised to reduce it, but it was too late.
‘He had already died before he had a chance to change.
‘I want my son’s death to be an example and warning for parents whose children are game addicts. They need to be more strict on their children’s playing hours otherwise they could end up like my son.’