PHUKET: Phuketwan takes the rare step tonight of publishing a photograph of a dead man in the hope he may be recognised and identified.
This man's body was found in a secluded part of Phuket 10 days ago, in unusual circumstances.
Was he a tourist or an expat? Phuket police cannot tell us. How did he die? Phuket police cannot tell us.
He does, however, have a bite mark on a knee, probably inflicted by some kind of snake or other animal, and that could have contributed to his demise.
Ten days on, investigating officer Lieutenant Weerayuth of Chalong Police Station has yet to see a pathology report relating to the man's death.
The man was found in scrub country near a secluded beach close to the Baan Krating Resort, which is only accessible along a narrow coastal road from Nai Harn beach, past Ao Sane beach.
He was found lying on his back, eyes open, with his pants rucked down around his ankles, and wearing dark running shoes. Nearby was a full bottle of whisky and an unopened bottle of water. His wallet was also nearby. It contained just 350 baht and no ID documents.
A plastic bag containing three t-shirts and two pairs of pants was just centimetres away.
Two keys were also found, but police inquiries have so far not linked the man to any resort of other accommodation on Phuket.
One theory is that the man was about to have a quiet drink overlooking the beach, but first needed to answer a call of nature. As he was about to relieve himself, with his pants around his ankles, some kind of creature surprised him and bit him.
For the moment, there is no other theory, and no word from anyone who may have once know the man.
Phuketwan previously published the photograph of a man who drowned at a beach and the publication led to the man's identification. We hope we have similar success this time.
This man's body was found in a secluded part of Phuket 10 days ago, in unusual circumstances.
Was he a tourist or an expat? Phuket police cannot tell us. How did he die? Phuket police cannot tell us.
He does, however, have a bite mark on a knee, probably inflicted by some kind of snake or other animal, and that could have contributed to his demise.
Ten days on, investigating officer Lieutenant Weerayuth of Chalong Police Station has yet to see a pathology report relating to the man's death.
The man was found in scrub country near a secluded beach close to the Baan Krating Resort, which is only accessible along a narrow coastal road from Nai Harn beach, past Ao Sane beach.
He was found lying on his back, eyes open, with his pants rucked down around his ankles, and wearing dark running shoes. Nearby was a full bottle of whisky and an unopened bottle of water. His wallet was also nearby. It contained just 350 baht and no ID documents.
A plastic bag containing three t-shirts and two pairs of pants was just centimetres away.
Two keys were also found, but police inquiries have so far not linked the man to any resort of other accommodation on Phuket.
One theory is that the man was about to have a quiet drink overlooking the beach, but first needed to answer a call of nature. As he was about to relieve himself, with his pants around his ankles, some kind of creature surprised him and bit him.
For the moment, there is no other theory, and no word from anyone who may have once know the man.
Phuketwan previously published the photograph of a man who drowned at a beach and the publication led to the man's identification. We hope we have similar success this time.
This demonstrates the lack of competence and professionalism by the police. It is like they are lost without CCTV footage, and have no other investigative tools or technique. How hard can it be to determine if he has snake venom in his system??? At least that possible cause could be confirmed or ruled out. Another bad joke in the Land of Smiles.
Posted by Richard Vickers on June 3, 2015 21:26
Editor Comment:
It's an interesting issue. Full autopsies can only be performed in Bangkok or Surat Thani. There is a cost, usually met by relatives. In this case, one would expect a general sense of urgency from Phuket's honorary consuls. An unidentified person dies an unusual death . . . . and nobody cares. This is Phuket. It is no joke.