Police were notified of the incident at 7pm, with Phuket City Police Chief Col Kamol Osiri and Lt Ranaphum Permphoon arriving at the Wangmai Phuket wood-processing factory soon after.
At the scene was the body of Myanmar national Ar Nai, 37, lying face up between on stacked planks of wood. He had stab wounds on his left arm and his back.
Mr Ar Nai had quit his job at Bypass Timber Co Ltd and was on his first day of work at Wangmai Phuket, police were told.
Witnesses told police that Ar Nai was unloading wood from a truck when two men approached him on a motorbike.
“They said that the three men got into a confrontation and began assaulting each other. One suspect then chased Ar Nai with a big knife and stabbed him in the back inside the factory,” Col Kamol said.
“The suspect then ran outside and dumped the knife in a rubbish bin in front of the factory before speeding away with his accomplice on the motorbike,” he said.
Police believe that the suspects are also Myanmar nationals
“We believe that they knew Mr Ar Nai and that they probably had some issues with him and so they followed Mr Ar Nai here and attacked him,” Col Kamol said.
“Workers do not remember the make or model of the getaway motorbike. We are questioning witnesses and those who work at the factory to get more information, and hopefully we will find the suspects soon,” he added.