Veteran film director Pisan Akaraseranee died of heart failure at age 73 early on Tuesday morning, while being treated for severe back pain at a Bangkok hospital.
He was pronounced dead about 2am, according to media reports.
His family had earlier taken him to a hospital for treatment for back pain. He was given a pain killer injection and taken back home.
As the pain continued, his family took him to another hospital, where he was admitted and examined. About 11pm on Monday he developed breathing problems and fell unconscious. Hospital staff spent about three hours trying to resuscitate him.
According to the Film Archive, Pisan had a hard childhood. He took up boxing to help his family.
His uncle, an actor, later introduced him to radio broadcasting. He worked as a news announcer, narrator and programme host and played in radio dramas.
He later starred in TV dramas, known for his roles as a sadistic hero and frequent strongly emotional scenes playing opposite heroines.
He also directed hundreds of radio and TV series and about 40 movies, media reports said.
