Maj Theerasak Boonsang of the Patong Police reported that he was notified by hotel staff at 5:20pm, saying that a foreign man had been found hanged in one the hotel’s ground-floor rooms.
Maj Theerasak reported that the four-storey hotel where the Russian man* was found dead was on Nanai Rd, but did not identify the name of the establishment.
“There were no signs of assault or any other injuries on the body, and we found no sign of robbery in the room,” he said.
“Medical staff believe the man had been dead at least six hours before his body was discovered. However, the body was taken to Patong Hospital for doctors to confirm the time and cause of death,” Maj Theerasak added.
The Russian man was due to appear in court today (June 7) to face a charge possession of marijuana, Maj Theerasak noted.
“We believe that he may have committed suicide to evade deportation in case he was convicted of the crime,” Maj Theerasak said.
“However, we will gather more information before we conclude our investigation. The Russian embassy has been notified of the incident,” he added.
* The Phuket News is withholding the man’s identity until it has been confirmed that his next of kin has been notified of his death.