A 21-year-old British woman has been arrested in Thailand on suspicion of murdering her boyfriend, a 34-year-old cannabis farm operator, after police found his body with multiple stab wounds in a luxury rental home in Pattaya.
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Police were called to the property in Nong Prue on Thursday morning following reports of a violent incident involving a foreign couple, according to Pol Col Nattaphon Phongsuksakul, chief of the Nong Prue police station.
Officers discovered the body of Thomas David Powell lying in a bathroom attached to a bedroom. He had two stab wounds to his back, three to his torso and one to his left hand. Police believe he had been dead for at least six hours before they arrived.
Girlfriend found near body
The victim's girlfriend, identified as Isabel Violet Carreras, was found sitting near the body and appeared to be heavily intoxicated by cannabis, police said. Officers noted cuts on her fingertips and recovered a 50cm machete-like knife that had been washed clean in a sink.
Carreras initially claimed her boyfriend had injured himself, but investigators found inconsistencies in her account. The victim's body appeared to have been moved and arranged in the bathroom, with a pillow placed under his head, while bloodstains and signs of a struggle were found throughout the house.
A British friend of the victim, who discovered the body, told police he had been alerted by a business partner in the United States who feared something was wrong. He went into the house to check, while recording a video, and then alerted the police.
Neighbours said the couple had rented the property only two weeks earlier and were frequently heard arguing.
Powell reportedly managed a cannabis farm in Bang Lamung Soi 14. Police said the couple had been together for about two years and planned to settle in Thailand.
The woman reportedly told investigators they had gone to look at engagement rings before returning home and smoking cannabis together. She claimed she could not remember the events that followed.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: "We are supporting the families of two British nationals in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities."
