Cherng Talay Police were informed of the death and called to the hotel at about 10:40am.
Officers found the man hanged by a rubber jump rope tied to the bathroom door.
The room showed no signs of forced entry or ransacking, and the man’s body showed no evidence of foul play, police noted.
A message was found taped to the man’s passport, with the phone number to a Thai woman he had been seeing.
The woman, who works for a restaurant in Patong, told police that she had been in a relationship with the man for about two and a half years.
The American man was a highly private person and had been suffering from depression for a long time, but took no medical treatment for his condition, she said.
The man was a regular visitor to Thailand. He stayed in Thailand for about three to four months per visit, usually staying in the Cherng Talay area, she added.
The man had scheduled an email to her to be sent at 8:01am, the woman told police. It was a goodbye message, she said.
The man was last seen by staff at the hotel at around 7pm on Monday (May 27). He had been staying at the hotel since May 22. He stayed alone and paid day by day.
Yesterday afternoon the man had failed to present himself to pay for his room as he usually did. A ‘do not disturb’ sign was posted on his door.
His body was found by cleaning staff who finally entered the room this morning, police said in their report.
Police checked CCTV at the hotel and confirmed that no people had entered or exited the room in the hours in between, police noted.
The man’s body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further examination while police conclude their investigation. At this stage police believe the man’s death to be suicide, noted the police report.
* The Phuket News is withholding the man’s name until it has been confirmed that his next of kin have been notified.
If you or anyone you know is in need of emotional support and counselling, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-113-6789 (English & Thai) or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).