Capt Weerayut Thansirisookworakun of the Karon Police was notified of the accident at 2am.
Motorbike driver Dong Yang, 36, from Beijing, was dead at the scene, Capt Weerayut reported.
“According to initial reports, Mr Dong was speeding and lost control of the motorbike when he went to overtake another vehicle on a bend.
“The motorbike swerved out of control off the road and Dong’s head struck a small concrete pillar that supports the hotel sign,” Capt Weerayut told The Phuket News.
Mr Dong’s companion, 22-year-old Zhang Hengquan, from Anhui province, suffered serious injuries in the crash, he said.
“Mr Zhang is still in hospital,” Capt Weerayut said.
“We are continuing our investigation. We have yet to question more witnesses and check any CCTV footage available,” he said.