Thailand investigates after Briton dies from penis enlargement

Anti-government protesters walk with Thai national flags as they move away from a month-long occupation of the city's main park and march towards the prime minister's office compound in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, May 12, 2014. (AP Photo/ Vincent Thian)

Thai authorities said Wednesday they are investigating a Bangkok clinic where a Nigerian-born British businessman and influencer underwent a penis enlargement procedure that led to his death.

A coroner in London last month ruled that the March 6 death of Igho Ubiribo, 43, in the Thai capital was caused by the hyaluronic acid injection he received hours earlier.

The case has reignited debate about medical tourism, with Thailand a leading destination for visitors from abroad seeking healthcare, including aesthetic procedures.

Ubiribo, reportedly known as “Tiny” and “Ego”, had 185,000 followers on Instagram, regularly posting pictures with his wife Danielle enjoying a luxury lifestyle.

Thailand’s health ministry ordered an investigation into his death and officials on Monday visited the central Bangkok clinic where Ubiribo was treated.

Authorities are looking into whether it holds a valid licence and followed health and safety protocols, a health ministry official told AFP.

He was having a massage after receiving the filler when he complained of chest pains and collapsed, according to an August report from the U.K. coroner, which formally determines cause of death.

He was taken by ambulance to hospital, suspected of having a pulmonary embolism, but lost consciousness before he could have a CT scan.

Medics tried to resuscitate him for over 100 minutes but he was declared dead around 1:00 am.

“Post-mortem examination and toxicology determined the cause of death to be due to the hyaluronic acid injection,” the report said.

Senior Bangkok police official Utit Soodjai told AFP his officers were also investigating.

“When it comes to medical procedures, we advocate for the highest level of caution,” Thai health minister Pattana Promphat told reporters.

The probe was intended “to ensure fairness for everyone and to reassure both local and international patients that they are receiving safe, high-standard and valuable care in Thailand”, he added in a statement.

According to the health ministry, the clinic’s managers said Ubiribo had been a regular patient since 2024 and had undergone five penile enlargement injections.

The first four procedures took place in 2024 and 2025, while on his fifth visit on March 5 he received 40 millilitres of filler.

The doctor had recommended splitting the procedure into two sessions, but Ubiribo requested that the entire amount be injected in one session, clinic management told investigators.

Hyaluronic acid fillers are widely used in aesthetic medicine, considered minimally invasive and relatively low risk.

Thailand has a reputation for excellent healthcare and has long been a centre for medical tourism, while the aesthetic market is booming.

As of 2024, official figures showed it had 7,000 aesthetic clinics, including 2,000 in Bangkok, and forecast a market worth US$7.51 billion in 2027 -- three times the size in 2020.