15th murder this year in fishing port

PHUKET TOWN: A man was found murdered on Sunday in the fishing port on Soi Si Sena, raising this year’s murder toll in the area to at least 15. Pol Maj Jiradej Kawinkij of Phuket Town Police Station said that police, after receiving a report at around 8:30 am, arrived at the scene to find the body floating in the water. The victim, who remains unidentified, is estimated to have died about two days earlier. He had been stabbed seven times in the stomach and chest, once in the right arm and once under the chin. He had also been beaten around the head with a blunt instrument. Maj Jiradej said, “He was probably a crewman on a fishing boat who got into a quarrel with others. There were no signs of a struggle on the land near where the body was found, so we believe he was killed aboard a boat before being dumped over the side.” According to records, which the police admit may be incomplete, this is the 15th murder this year in the fishing port area. Fourteen such murders were recorded in 2000.