Australian dies in Phuket hotel room

PHUKET: Kathu Police are still uncertain what caused the death of an Australian man in his Patong apartment yesterday.

A Kathu Police duty officer identified the body as that of 40-year-old Jamie Thomas Trow.

A friend of the deceased, identified only as ‘Mr Eric’, discovered Mr Trow’s body in his second-floor room at the upscale BYD Lofts serviced apartments on Haad Patong Road in Patong, Lt Nitikorn said.

When police arrived with Kusoldharm Foundation volunteer rescue workers they found Mr Trow’s body clad only in a towel.

Police estimated the time of his death at about 10:30am yesterday.

A search of the room found some asthma medicine, but no signs of foul play.

Mr Trow’s stay in Patong was apparently well-funded.

Inside the room safe police found 180,000 baht in cash, small amounts of cash in Singapore and Hong Kong dollars, four Rolex watches, four mobile phones and an electroshock self-protection device.

Mr Trow’s body was taken to Patong Hospital for examination.

His wife, who lives in Bangkok, has already been contacted and will come to claim his remains, Lt Nitikorn said.

Initial police questioning of hotel staff revealed that Mr Trow had been staying at the hotel for more than a month.

Staff described him as a gregarious, outgoing man.

He was also a big tipper, giving staff members 200 baht tips each time they provided service, they said.

He went on a dive trip just before his death, staff said.

— Pimwara Choksakulpan