Swede dead in Phuket of apparent cocaine overdose

CHALONG, PHUKET: Police have confirmed that a 48-year-old Swedish man found dead in the room of a guesthouse late yesterday afternoon appears to have died of a cocaine overdose.

The 48-year-old Swede, whose name is being withheld pending notification of kin, was found in a room at the Happy Days guesthouse, located at Chalong Bay.

Chalong Police Duty Officer Thienchai Duangsuwan said the discovery was made by one of the guesthouse chambermaids at around 4pm when she entered the room to clean it.

The man was found lying face up on the bed, saliva coming from his mouth.

Police forensics experts who examined the room found a notebook computer with the man’s MSN messenger chat application still open and running, with chats from a number of friends still on the screen.

Inside a drawer, police found about one gram of cocaine and unspecified drug apparatus.

Police estimated the time of death at about four hours before the discovery of the body.

Rescue workers from the Phuket Ruamjai Kupai foundation took the body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further examination and storage until it can be claimed by relatives.

Police suspect the Swede may have died of an accidental drug overdose, but say this can only be confirmed by autopsy.

— Kamol Pirat