Pattaya guesthouse horror: Foreign man found with decomposing body
A troubling discovery unfolded in Pattaya as a foreign man was found living in a guesthouse with his partner’s decomposing body for over three days. Police were alerted to the situation when police were called shortly after 11.30am on December 22. The grim find was made in a room on the fifth floor of a guesthouse located at Soi Somprasong Plaza on Jomtien Beach Road.
Upon arrival, police, accompanied by forensic officers, a physician from Banglamung Hospital, and rescue workers, began their investigation. Inside the converted five-story building, which offers both daily and monthly rentals, they found the body of Duangta Khampongsom, a 45 year old Thai woman from Sisaket province.
Her body, found on the bed wearing only denim shorts, showed signs of advanced decomposition, suggesting she had been deceased for at least three days. Despite the state of the body, there were no indications of a struggle or theft in the room.
The guesthouse manager, 57 year old Prayun, was the first to notice a foul smell emanating from the room. After receiving no response when knocking, he used a spare key to enter the room, where he discovered the decomposing body.
The room had been rented by a 71 year old foreign man, identified only as E, who was not present at the time of discovery. He was reportedly the deceased’s companion.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding E’s nationality, with some rescue workers and police officials suggesting he could be Irish, Icelandic, or have ties to both countries.
Decomposing body
Police eventually found E wandering near Jomtien Beach, seemingly disoriented and offering inconsistent explanations. He described the deceased as a bar worker he had invited to his room on December 18. According to E, she had claimed to have been assaulted and expressed feeling unwell.
E recounted that the woman vomited and slept extensively. His last interaction with her was on December 19, after which he assumed she was merely resting in the bed.
He denied any involvement in her death and claimed to have been unaware she had died, stating he did not detect any odour from the decomposing body. However, police expressed scepticism regarding his assertion of not noticing her death for over three days while sharing the small room.
An initial autopsy conducted by Bang Lamung Hospital could not establish the cause of Duangta’s death, although it confirmed she had been deceased for more than three days. Her body was subsequently sent to the Police General Hospital’s forensic institute for a more thorough examination.
E was taken to a local police station for further questioning and underwent DNA sampling. Forensic officers are meticulously examining the scene and collecting fingerprints. Police have stated that they are keeping all possibilities open as the investigation continues, reported The Pattaya News.
CCTV footage reportedly captured E behaving normally at 9.58am on December 22, briefly leaving and re-entering the room without displaying any signs of distress or concern.
