Dead body of Russian man found in Pattaya roadside forest

A motorcycle taxi rider stumbled upon the dead body of a Russian man in a roadside forest on the Thep Prasit 9 Road in Bang Lamueng district of Pattaya yesterday, March 10. Police suspect suicide as the cause of his death.

A 46 year old Thai man named Choosak reported the discovery of the dead Russian man, 34 year old Mikhail Sysoev, to Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday. Choosak reported that a motorcycle taxi rider ran out of the forest in fear and told him that he found a dead body.

Choosak said he went to the forest to check on the incident and discovered the body of the foreign man in the forest about 20 to 30 metres away from the road. Choosak said he had never seen the foreigner before, or perhaps he did not recognise him because many foreigners, mostly Russians, lived in the area.

Choosak added that he heard his dogs barking at night and suspected they were barking at a stranger, but he did not go out to check.

Police investigated the scene and reported that Sysoev was in a black T-shirt, grey shorts, and black flipflops. He sat on his knees and his neck was tied with a blue rope. The end of the rope was tied to a tree, leading officers to suspect that he had committed suicide.

His mobile phone was in the pocket of his trousers and a bottle of water was found near his body. No personal documents were found on him but an officer was able to identify him after checking a CCTV camera in the area.

Forest ending

From the footage, Sysoev was seen turning on a flashlight on his mobile phone and walking into the forest at about 3.38am on March 10. He went out of the forest once, returned to the forest and never left.

From the footage, Sysoev was observed activating a flashlight on his mobile phone and entering the forest at approximately 3.38 am on March 10. He emerged from the forest momentarily, then re-entered and did not leave thereafter

Sysoev entered Thailand on January 20, with his scheduled departure set for April 18. The incident is suspected to be a suicide, although the motive behind his decision remains unidentified. His body is undergoing autopsy at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.