Aekarat Sarapon, 29, was driving one of three buses scheduled to pick up Chinese tourists from the Boat Lagoon Resort to take them to Phang Nga. He had arrived the night before, planning to sleep in the bus.
A security guard saw two of the buses leave and, wondering why the third was still sitting there with its engine running, went to take a look. He discovered Mr Aekarat jammed half in and half out of the bus, and already dead.
The tour company did not own the bus, but rented it from a transport company in Bangkok.
A representative of the tour company told police at the scene that Mr Aekarat had worked with the firm since March 11, and this was his “third or fourth trip for us”.
“[This morning] I called him two or three times [to discuss the schedule] but he did not answer. I thought maybe he was busy. Later I was informed that he was dead.”
After the discovery of Mr Aekarat’s corpse, it took rescue staff and police a while to open the jammed door and get the body out.
Mr Aekarat’s remains were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death will be carried out.