FOREIGNER FOUND HANGED IN PHUKET HOTEL

FOREIGNER FOUND HANGED IN PHUKET HOTEL

PHOTO: Chergntalay Police

The body of a 63 year old American man has been found hanged in a hotel room in north Phuket.

The man’s body was discovered by cleaners at the Bang Tao hotel, in the sub-district of Cherngtalay, yesterday morning, May 29. Cherngtalay Police were alerted and arrived at the hotel at around 10.40am, according to a Phuket News report.

The man was found hanged by a rubber jump rope that had been tied to the bathroom door. There was no sign of forced entry or any other disturbance in the room, nor was there any sign of foul play on the man’s body.

A subsequent examination of CCTV footage confirmed nobody had entered the room other than the guest himself, according to the police report. The man’s body has been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital to confirm the cause of death, which at this stage, officers believe was suicide.

It’s understood a note was found taped to the man’s passport, with the phone number of the Thai woman he’d been seeing. When questioned, the woman, who works at a Patong restaurant, told officers she’d been in a relationship with the American for around 2 and a half years.

She described him as an extremely private person, who had suffered with depression but was not taking any medication for his condition. She said he regularly came to Thailand, staying for 3 or 4 months at a time, usually in the Cherngtalay area. She also told officers that the man had scheduled a goodbye email to be sent to her just after 8am.

Staff at the hotel told police the man had been staying alone at the hotel since May 22 and paid day by day. They last saw him on Monday, May 27, at around 7pm.

The following day he didn’t show up at Reception to pay for his room and the “do not disturb” sign had been posted on his door. Cleaners who entered the room yesterday morning discovered his body.

The man’s name is being withheld until family members have been notified.

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).