Ayawarin Pradabyat wins the girls' Class B title of the Junior Asian Tour, at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club, Ban Chang, Thailand in March 2026. Photo by Junior Asian Tour

The family of the young athlete, known as Aya, confirmed her passing via Facebook. Her mother, 49-year-old Natcha Pradabyat, revealed that Aya's heart stopped for nearly an hour following the lightning strike before medical personnel managed to resuscitate her.

However, her condition remained critical, requiring repeated resuscitation procedures throughout the night.

According to her family, Aya was kept alive on life support while they awaited the return of her father, who had been working in Myanmar. She died on Monday morning, shortly after her father arrived at the hospital to say his final goodbyes. The family took her home later in the day for the funeral, Khaosod reported.

"No parent would ever willingly let their child go. But if holding on means causing more pain to our beloved daughter, we have to let her go peacefully," her mother wrote on Facebook. "You fought so hard, my beloved Aya. Rest in peace, my darling."

Following her daughter's death, Natcha publicly urged golf courses and tournament organizers to strengthen safety precautions and establish rapid-response protocols for emergencies. She hopes that no other family would ever have to endure such a loss.

Aya's 67-year-old grandmother, Aphorn Pradabyat, questioned why the tournament was allowed to continue despite the stormy weather. She said lightning had already struck the area twice on Sunday afternoon, yet officials did not halt the competition.

At the time of the incident, Aya was on the course near the 11th hole with fellow competitors and support staff, while her mother waited at the clubhouse.

Aphorn suspects that organizers allowed the golfers to continue playing because they wanted to conclude the tournament schedule early, but there has been no official response or statement from the golf course or the organizers.

According to Aya's coach, she had been playing golf since she was about five or six years old and was considered a rising star in the region.

In March 2026, Aya captured the girls' Class B title at the opening leg of the Junior Asian Tour, held at the Rayong Green Valley Country Club. In September, she placed fifth in the girls' Super GENZ division for ages 15-18 at the Bangchak Champions Cup, finishing with a total of 222 strokes after three rounds.

She represented her province in numerous competitions and was being considered for a reserve spot in the Chon Buri golf team prior to the tragedy.