Teresa Teng’s Butler Speaks Out 31 Years After Her Death, Reveals Final Moments

It has been 31 years since Teresa Teng’s sudden passing, but new details about her final moments are only now coming to light.

The legendary Taiwanese singer died on May 8, 1995, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, while on holiday. She was 42.

Teresa, who had long struggled with asthma, suffered a severe attack while staying at the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel. She was later pronounced dead from respiratory failure at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital.

At the time, no autopsy was conducted. Her partner, Frenchman Paul Quilery — who was not at the hotel when the incident occurred — had requested that her body not be examined.

Now, her former personal butler in Thailand, known as Billy, has spoken publicly for the first time about what happened that day.

In a recent interview shared by Chinese influencer “Chiang Mai Xiao Yang Yang”, Billy, who had been caring for Teresa during her stay, recalled that she appeared “normal” when he delivered her breakfast on the morning of her death.

However, things took a turn in the afternoon.

After exercising and taking a bath, Teresa suddenly experienced severe shortness of breath while Paul was out. By the time Billy realised something was wrong and called the hotel manager for help, her condition had already become critical.

He revealed that Teresa did not have any emergency medication with her at the time. Her hands and feet had begun to spasm and go numb.

Heavy traffic further delayed their journey to the hospital, causing them to miss the crucial window for treatment.

Billy also said they only discovered that Teresa had bathed after exercising when police later checked the room.

“I didn’t know she was bathing. I don’t know how long she stayed inside. If she felt unwell, she would have come out — I couldn’t go in,” he said, expressing lingering regret.

The tragedy has weighed heavily on him over the years. Since then, Billy has learned first aid in hopes of being better prepared for emergencies.

He also revealed that he had been instructed by hotel management at the time to remain silent about the incident, and was even made to change his name. He is only now able to share his account after those restrictions were lifted.

The revelations have sparked discussion online, with some netizens pointing to the potential risks of showering immediately after exercise.

“Exercising and taking deep breaths, then inhaling steam without resting can trigger asthma. I’ve experienced that too — I understand,” one commenter wrote.