Kathu Police were notified at about 7:10pm that a foreign national had been found dead at a small hotel in Soi Be Hua 6, Kathu.
Investigating officer Lt Col Wattanathon Bamrungthin arrived at the scene with forensic officers after informing Kathu Police Chief Col Chalermchai Hoesawat.
Police identified the deceased as a 44-year-old Russian national*.
According to police, friends became concerned after being unable to contact the man for three days. They went to his room and repeatedly knocked on the door, but received no response.
Looking through a gap beneath the door, they saw him motionless on the floor before forcing the door open and finding him dead.
A forensic examination at the scene estimated that the man had been dead for about two days.
Police reported that friends told officers that the man had a history of depression and lived alone.
Investigators found no signs of a struggle or forced entry, and the deceased’s belongings remained undisturbed.
The body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full post-mortem examination. Police are coordinating with the Russian Embassy to notify the man’s family and facilitate the necessary legal and religious arrangements.
* The Phuket News is withholding the man’s name until it has been confirmed that his next of kin have been notified.
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