A man with dual Costa Rican and American nationalities was found dead in his Phuket hotel room yesterday morning, October 30. The man was found with multiple stab wounds to his neck, at a hotel near Bang Tao Beach, in the sub-district of Cherng Talay.
Police were notified by staff at around 9.40am after a cleaner discovered the 35 year old man’s body at the foot of the bed. He was wearing only shorts and had four stab wounds to the left side of his neck.
Warawut Saensop from Cherng Talay Police says officers believe the man had been dead 2 – 3 days when his body was found. It’s understood he was a long-stay guest at the hotel, having arrived on August 30. He had already paid the first two months’ rent and recently renewed the contract for a third month, according to the hotel manager.
On searching the room, police found a small knife with traces of blood on it. They also found a laptop, an iPad, two mobile phones, four backpacks containing clothes, diving equipment and boxing equipment, and a suitcase. Officers also found two passports, one for the US and one Costa Rican, along with 6,000 baht in cash.
There were no signs of anything having been stolen from the room. The police also found a quantity of crystal meth in the bathroom and a bag containing drug-taking paraphernalia.
According to staff, initially the man seemed to be enjoying his stay, going boxing and diving. However, more recently he had become withdrawn and appeared stressed. He lost weight and stayed by himself, drinking a lot, according to the hotel manager. The staff last saw the man on the evening of October 26, when he went to buy a smoothie.
A post-mortem is being carried out at Vachira Phuket Hospital in order to confirm the cause of death. The man’s name is being withheld until next-of-kin have been informed.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai) or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).
SOURCE: The Phuket News
