Police suspect dead man found on Phuket beach had been sniffing glue

Early this morning, fishermen off the coast of Phuket found the body of a man washed up on the beach. The corpse showed no signs of injury, however, police found incriminating glue stains on his clothes and a can of glue near his body. They also found a shrimp-catching bucket near the body. Police believe the man had been sniffing glue before hunting for shrimp, and then fainted and drowned during high tide.

Authorities later identified the man as 41 year old Sa-art Wangdee. Sa-art’s father identified his son’s body at the Thalang Hospital. Neither he, nor Sa-art’s other relatives, considered his death suspicious. The father added, however, that they have still requested a rigorous post-mortem examination from the hospital. The police lieutenant said Sa-art was registered as living in Moo 3 Pa Khlok, on the east side of the island.

The fisherman who found Sa-art, Mr. Sommart Nayao, had been preparing to fish in his longtail boat that day, when he discovered the body on the beach.

High-profile cases involving glue-sniffing have occurred previously in Thailand, such as one incident in November when a man who had been sniffing glue beat an elderly man to death in a temple. In 2018, one glue-sniffer in Chiang Mai beat up Chinese tourists. In 2013, a monk was charged with sniffing glue. Drug crimes are common in Thailand’s daily headlines.

SOURCE: The Phuket News