The Swedish tourist who died is Jan Mirael Viltfors. Because the internet is easily accessed from around the world, Phuketwan delayed naming him until his relatives in Sweden had been notified.


A SWEDISH tourist who extended his holiday on Phuket to take a diving course has been found dead in his resort room on a neighboring island.

Mystery surrounds the final moments and the cause of death of the man in Room 18 at Ban Raya Resort and Spa, on Racha island. He was aged 36.

Racha is about 40 minutes by speedboat from the most frequently used departure point on Phuket, the pier at Chalong.

Police at Chalong named the man today but Phuketwan has refrained from publishing it because a spokesperson at the Swedish embassy said it was not clear yet whether relatives had been notified.

The man arrived at the resort, about 20 minutes walk from picture-perfect Batok Bay on Racha island, on November 24. He had planned to leave on December 3.

However, resort staff said, he decided to stay on and do a diving course. So he changed his checkout date to Monday, December 7.

On Sunday, he completed his diving course in waters off the island. A source at the resort, who did not wish to be named, said the man returned from the course, and told staff he felt tired and did not wish to be disturbed.

One observer noted that the touirist had a small bottle of energy drink M150 before retiring to his room about noon.

At 8pm, staff tried to rouse the man and found him dead on his bed. Police came from the mainland to inspect the death scene that night.

A photograph shows the man lying on top of the bed, still wearing black shirt and black shorts, and his watch. There is some white discharge on his lips.

His body is now at Vachira Hospital in Phuket City, awaiting instructions from his family in Sweden, via the embassy.