A 58-year-old Australian tourist died after a violent assault on Patong beach in Phuket on Wednesday night. Police are hunting down the suspect.
The death of the man, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was reported to police at 11pm on Wednesday after he was admitted to Patong Hospital.
An examination found the tourist had sustained severe head injuries consistent with a violent assault.
Initial investigations showed the victim had been attacked on Prachanukhro Road at about 5pm on Wednesday.
Rescue workers rushed him to Patong Hospital, and preparations were being made to transfer him to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further treatment. However, he died from his injuries at 10.23pm.
Medical staff subsequently alerted police, and the body was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police were gathering evidence and examining surveillance video in surrounding areas to identify and arrest the suspect as quickly as possible.
