A Costa Rican-American man was found dead in his room with stab wounds at a hotel in Phuket on Monday, according to local police.
Police said the body of a 35-year-old man, Daniel James Artus Jerez, was found at 9.40am inside the hotel on Bangtao Beach in Choeng Thalay.
The hotel manager discovered the body after he smelled a bad odour coming from the man's room and decided to investigate, according to police.
The body was found lying face-down on the bed. The man had on a pair of shorts, with four stab wounds on the left side of his neck and a large bloodstain on the floor. He was estimated to have been dead for at least 2–3 days.
Police found ketamine and cannabis in the man's bathroom and a 25-centimetre, bloodstained knife near the entrance.
According to the hotel manager, the man checked in on Aug 30 and paid two months' rent. He later paid more to extend his stay and was last seen on Oct 26.
He was well-mannered but often drunk and under considerable stress, the manager said.
