Body in sea ‘probably a foreigner’

PHUKET: The body of an unidentified man, probably a foreigner, was found floating in the sea about one mile south of Laem Promthep yesterday.

The gruesome discovery was made at about 11 am near Koh Kaew Pissadarn by fisherman Sanée Kreasang, 41.

Pol Maj Chana Suttimath of the Chalong Police Station told the Gazette the man was at least 30 years old and was probably Caucasian. He was dressed only in blue underwear and was badly decomposed from the waist up. His skull was cracked, and part of it was missing near the forehead.

Police suspect the man may have drowned while swimming at Nai Harn Beach and that the skull fracture was caused later when the corpse was carried by waves into rocks. It is estimated that he died about one week ago.

The body is being kept at Wachira Phuket Hospital pending identification by relatives and will later be sent to the Police Forensic Science Office in Bangkok for autopsy.