Phuket City Police were informed at 6am that a man’s body had been found in a hotel car park on Kra Rd, along Bang Yai Canal, in Phuket Town.
Officers arrived to find the body of Wirun Inya, a 33-year-old driver for the Phuket Provincial Commercial Office. Mr Wirun was originally from Phatthalung Province.
Mr Wirun was dressed in a red short-sleeved sports shirt and red shorts. He had suffered a stab wound under the left breast and another stab wound to his back.
Police estimated that Mr Wirun had died some three to four hours before they had arrived.
Mr Wirun’s phone was found at the scene, and his body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further medical examination, police reported.
Police reported that the 191 hotline control room in Phuket Town had received a report of fighting in front of a well-known restaurant some 500 metres away at 1:50am.
Officers responded, but when they arrived found no evidence of any fight. Local residents confirmed that the parties to the fight had dispersed.
However, blood stains were later found on the ground in several places in front of the restaurant. Samples of the blood were taken to confirm whether or not it had spilled from Mr Wirun, police said.
Police surmised that Mr Wirun may have been stabbed by a group of assailants in front of the restaurant and then ran to the parking lot in front of the hotel where he collapsed and died.
Mr Wirun had been confirmed to have been drinking and eating at the restaurant before the report of the fight, police said.
Police are continuing to question employees at the restaurant, including the chief security guard at the venue.
Officers are also checking any CCTV footage from inside the restaurant and the surrounding area.