Maj Akkaradech Pongprom of the Phuket City Police identified the woman as Zhang Qimei, 31.
“I was notified of the accident at 1:53am,” he said.
Maj Akkaradech arrived at the scene, on Chao Fa East Rd northbound near the Dowroong Intersection, with rescue workers to find a wrecked green Honda Click motorbike on the ground with the crumpled body of Ms Zhang still positioned astride the vehicle.
She had sustained severe head injuries in the impact.
Unresponsive at the scene, Ms Zhang was later formally pronounced dead at Vachira Phuket Hospital.
“Mz Zhang was returning home after having dinner with three friends at the Naka Market,” Maj Akkaradech told The Phuket News.
The group were heading south, toward Chalong, Maj Akkaradech said, confirming that Mz Zhang’s motorbike had crossed the oncoming lane and struck the pole on the far side of the road.
“They were all riding rental motorbikes. Ms Zhang was riding too fast to safely make it around the bend and lost control of the motorbike, and she hit the power pole very hard,” he said.
No other vehicles were involved in the accident, Maj Akkaradech confirmed.
“Her friends confirmed that she had the accident all by herself,” he said.
Asked were they drunk, Maj Akkaradech said, “They just had a meal and sang karaoke.”
The Chinese consulate has been informed of Mz Zhang’s death, he added,
“Ms Zhang’s mother is on her way to Phuket now,” Maj Akkaradech said.