Canadian and American men die after attending Phuket EDM music festival
Two foreign men, one Canadian and one American, tragically lost their lives after attending the Electric Daisy Carnival Thailand 2025 (EDC Thailand 2025) in Phuket on Saturday, January 18. The causes of their deaths are still under investigation.
The music festival that most Thais and foreigners in Phuket were looking forward to joining took place between January 17-19 at the Boat Avenue Lakefront in the Choeng Thale district of Phuket. Despite the vibrant atmosphere and impressive performances, the event was overshadowed by the two tragic incidents.
In the first case, a 28 year old Canadian man, Sharfaraz Magbul Ahmed, collapsed at the event at around 9.26pm on Saturday. He showed no visible injuries or signs of assault and was promptly taken to Thalang Hospital. Despite the medical team’s efforts, including CPR, they were unable to save him.
Ahmed’s body has been transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for an autopsy, and his family is being notified to arrange for the repatriation of his remains for a funeral.
In a separate incident that happened on the same day, a 32 year old American man, Minh Nguyen Quang, also collapsed at the festival around 11.35pm. He was rushed to Thalang Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 12.30am on Sunday, January 19.
The cause of his death also remains under investigation. Medical authorities suggested that the deaths may be linked to drug use or excessive alcohol consumption.
In a related case reported last year, a Thai man, aged around 30, mysteriously died after attending the Tomorrowland music festival in Belgium. He was found in the VIP area before being taken to hospital. It was suspected a drug overdose as the cause, similar to other fatalities at the event.
The event spokesperson, Debby Wilmsen, commented that while her team worked to create a safe and enjoyable environment for attendees, they could not control individual choices.
Following reports of the recent fatalities in Thailand, many Thai netizens also speculated that the two foreigners also died due to drug overdoses. Some claimed that drugs are easily accessible in Thailand, particularly among foreign tourists.
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