The body of a young woman was found in a suitcase seen floating in a reservoir near Pattaya on Wednesday morning.
The case was floating in Khlong Bang Phai reservoir in tambon Huai Yai and its discovery was reported to police about 6.30am.
Emergency responders reported it was a large black fabric suitcase. It was tightly secured with a metal chain and padlock. The chain was reinforced with four cable ties and an additional lock on the zipper, and there was a foul smell coming from the suitcase.
Rescue workers brought it ashore and then cut through the chain and other locks.
Inside, they found the curled-up body of a woman aged around 30 years. Her nationality was unknown and there were no ID documents. She was wearing only cream-coloured long pants. A photo seen by the Bangkok Post showed her body was heavily tattooed.
A hospital doctor said she had been dead about five days.
Also found in the suitcase were nine weight plates used with barbells. They were in the front compartment.
The body was sent to the Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine for post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Police believe the woman was murdered and her body stuffed in the suitcase and later dropped in the reservoir to conceal the crime.
There are multiple access routes to the reservoir and no surveillance cameras. The area is forested with unpaved roads and difficult terrain. Heavy rain over the previous three days had washed away potential evidence.
The incident is similar to a murder earlier this year in Ban Chang district of adjoining Rayong province, where the body of a woman was found stuffed in a suitcase and submerged using weight plates. The two locations are just 14 kilometres apart, leading to speculation the cases might be linked.
