Evidence found in Russian man’s death in Phuket suggests suicide

Police reported yesterday that they have gathered multiple pieces of evidence and information from the wife of a Russian man, whose body was discovered on Karon Beach in Phuket, suggesting that he may have committed suicide.

The body of the Russian man, Ilia Orlov, was discovered near Karon Beach in Phuket on Tuesday, September 3. The 27 year old had two deep cuts on his hands and a bruise was observed behind his ear. An autopsy revealed that Ilia died from excessive blood loss.

Karon Police Station is overseeing the investigation and has not yet determined whether the incident was a tragic suicide or murder.

Officers learned from his family in Russia that Ilia arrived in Thailand with his wife and daughter. Police searched for Ilia’s wife, who initially avoided being interviewed due to overstaying her visa. She eventually agreed to speak with the police yesterday.

According to his wife, she and Ilia recently moved in with a Russian friend in the Karon area due to financial difficulties. They stayed with the friend for two days before the incident occurred.

The wife explained that she and Ilia argued on the afternoon of Monday, September 2, prompting him to leave the house. He was wearing only dark blue shorts and was carrying a black bag, which was later found at the scene.

Police reviewed security camera footage and saw Ilia walking towards Karon Beach before disappearing from view. According to the police, he was last seen on CCTV at 3pm on Monday, about 1 kilometre from where his body was found.

The wife provided crucial information to the police, stating that Ilia asked her to commit suicide with him on several occasions. She was unaware of the reasons behind his suicidal thoughts but his mother also confirmed that Ilia had been struggling with such thoughts for some time.

MGR Online also reported that Ilia’s mother is now with her daughter in Pattaya.

Police summoned the couple’s friend for questioning and searched his apartment near Karon Temple. No illegal items were found, and the friend did not exhibit any suspicious behaviour.

Officers reported that they still could not confirm whether Ilia’s death was a murder or suicide. They will review further CCTV footage before concluding the case.

If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.

ORIGINAL STORY: Russian man found dead near Karon Beach, Phuket, murder suspected

A local discovered the body of a Russian man in a ditch near Karon Beach in Phuket yesterday afternoon. A fatal attack is suspected as the man had wounds all over his body.

Officers from Karon Police Station were called to investigate the death of the Russian man, later identified as 27 year old Ilia Orlov, at around 12.50pm yesterday, September 3. Forensic doctors from Vachira Phuket Hospital and officers from the Phuket Ruam Jai Rescue Foundation also participated in the investigation.

According to the police report, the Russian man was thin, tall, and had fair skin. He was wearing dark blue shorts and was shirtless. He had two major cuts on his hands, which severed his radial artery, and a bruise was noted behind his ear. Additional wounds were detected across his body during the autopsy.

The medical team reported that the Russian man likely died at least eight hours before he was discovered. A crowd of people observed the officials at work, but no one knew the deceased personally or had seen him in the area before.

Police later found a bag belonging to the foreigner near his body. A passport was found inside, allowing officers to identify the deceased as Ilia. His laptop, other personal documents, and a passport belonging to a Russian woman were also found in the bag.

Ilia entered Thailand on January 24 under the visa-free scheme, which allowed him to stay for 90 days until April 22. He was found to have renewed his visa by visiting Malaysia and then returning to Thailand.

Police believe that the Russian man was fatally assaulted elsewhere before being abandoned in the area. Officers will review nearby security cameras to identify potential suspects.

According to information shared by Ilia’s family in Russia, he came to Thailand with his wife. Police have not revealed whether they have identified his wife’s whereabouts or if she is still in Phuket. However, Channel 8 reported that the deceased arrived in Thailand with his wife and their child.

Matichon reported that police questioned someone close to Ilia and found that he exhibited unusual behaviour three to four days before his body was discovered. However, the details of this behaviour were not clarified.