A young Australian tourist was found dead in his hotel room in Phuket, Thailand, just one day before he was supposed to return home.
The body of the man in his early-20s, who was travelling alone, was discovered by hotel staff on Wednesday in the Thalang district, north of Phuket.
He had reportedly checked into the hotel on July 20 and was set to check out on July 24.
Police who attended the scene said the man was found lying on his bed in a black t-shirt, with his mobile phone still on his chest. Lieutenant Colonel Thanom Thongpaen from Thalang police told Reuters, “I saw him lying there with a mobile phone resting on his chest. He was still on a call with someone. The line hadn’t been disconnected and he had died like that.”
The officer added, “There were no signs of struggle or anything suspicious. It appeared he had been on the call for about 12 hours. The phone screen had gone dark, but we could still see the call duration and confirm he was on a call.”
Police said they found no evidence of a break-in or any foul play, and there were no visible injuries except for bandages on his elbow and wrist. Friends told officers the bandages were from a recent motorcycle accident, and that the man had asked the hotel cleaner to get him some medication from a pharmacy.
“The day before, he had a motorcycle accident and injured his elbow and wrist. He had asked the hotel maid to buy medicine for him from a pharmacy. He likely took the medication before he passed away,” Lieutenant Colonel Thongpaen told The Phuket News.
Officers confirmed there were only some over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills in the room.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, police could not identify a clear cause of death at the scene and a forensic team was called in to investigate further. The man’s body has been taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem. Police said they are waiting for test results to determine exactly how he died.
The man’s friends, who the police said were also Australians, helped authorities identify him.
“His friends, who are also Australians living in the same neighbourhood, weren’t travelling with him but happened to meet up in Phuket,” Lieutenant Colonel Thongpaen noted.
The Australian Consulate and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have both been notified.
In a statement to the SMH, a spokesperson said, “The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who died in Thailand.”
At this stage, police are not naming the man until his family is officially informed and Thai authorities are continuing their investigation.
Lead image: Getty
The post Australian Man In His 20s Found Dead In Thailand Hotel, Authorities Are Investigating appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
