A Taiwanese man, who had been bound and gagged, has been found dead in a Bangkok hotel room. The body of the 48 year old man was found on the sixth floor of the Niran Grand Hotel, off Sukhumvit 103, in the Bang Na district, at around 6.30am yesterday, November 16.
Police say there were signs of a struggle in the room, which had been ransacked. The dead man is also understood to have had a criminal record. His body was found lying facedown on the bed, with his hands and legs bound with belts and ropes.
His attackers had tied his hands behind his back and wrapped a transparent plastic sheet around his head and plastic tape around his nose and neck. Investigating officers say there are signs the victim was tortured. According to forensic officers, the man died at least 8 hours before his body was discovered.
Police found two safes in the room, with bloodstains detected on one safe and on a bucket. The dead man’s personal belongings, including his mobile phone and laptop, were missing. Hotel staff told police that they had seen the man using his laptop at around midday on Wednesday.
So far, the investigation shows that the man arrived in Thailand at around 1am on Tuesday, checking into the hotel later that day, at around 12.45. It’s understood that he was visited by two Thai women on the same evening.
Police say they have learnt that 3 men, at least one of them Asian, had some involvement with the victim. They have also confirmed that the dead man had served time in his native country, on charges of fraud and human trafficking.
The investigation into his murder is ongoing.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
