Police Lt Col Apidet Chomthong, Deputy Inspector (Investigation) at Chalong Police Station, received a call from villagers at about 1:20am reporting that a body had been spotted floating in the water near a moored boat off the sea gypsy village.
Officers, joined by members of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) Tourist Assistance Unit, went to the scene and brought the body ashore.
The deceased was identified as 47-year-old Phuket native Payung Bangjak. He was found wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and no injuries were visible on his body.
His sister, Kwanjit Bangjak, told police she had last seen him at around 6pm the previous evening. She also confirmed that her brother suffered from a chronic condition involving convulsions.
A preliminary examination at the scene found no signs of violence, and police estimate he had been dead for at least six hours before being discovered.
The body was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital to officially confirm the cause of death before being released to his family for funeral rites.