Police have yet to rule the case as suicide.
Lt Peerasit Noopayan and fellow officers of the Cherng Talay police were called to the home in Soi Pasak 10 at 1:30pm after local residents noticed a foul stench emanating from inside.
After breaking through the locked front door, officers found the body of fellow Cherng Talay police officer Sen Sgt Maj Pinit Pradabjan, 50, slumped in a sitting position on the floor with his head resting on the wall.
In his right hand was a 9mm pistol. Police nearby found one 9mm casing on the floor.
Police said they found no sign of assault or robbery and confirmed that Sen Sgt Maj Pinit had one gunshot wound to the head, from inside of his mouth to the back of the neck.
The tip of the bullet hit the wall before it landed on the floor.
Sen Sgt Maj Pinit’s body was taken to Thalang hospital.
“We believe he had been dead for at least 24 hours before we arrived,” Lt Peerasit said.
“At this stage we presume that Sen Sgt Maj Pinit used his gun to commit suicide, but before we rule this case as suicide we will wait for doctors to confirm the cause of death and for the Phuket forensic police to conclude their investigation.”
Residents in the area said they never heard the fatal gunshot and suspected that the incident took place while they were all at work.
Police revealed that Sen Sgt Maj Pinit was a native of Phuket’s Srisoonthorn subdistrict, which neighbours the Cherng Talay subdistrict where he was stationed.
He was working with the Cherng Talay Police’s Crime Prevention and Suppression unit. His duties included keeping the daily log, and he was transferred from police territorial defense from the Deep Southern to Cherng Talay five years ago.
He rented and lived in the room alone.
Fellow police officers told The Phuket News that Sen Sgt Maj Pinit spent his free time alone and loved to spend his time watching boxing matches.
“He never have any problems with anyone and he never complained or mentioned any personal issues with us,” said one officer.
Police theorized that Sen Sgt Maj Pinit may have been under a lot of stress from a situation that he could find no way out of, and so decided to take his own life
“But the true cause of death is under investigation,” one officer said.