Holiday tragedy: Kiwi tourist found dead in Kata hotel
Police investigate suspected overdose linked to alcohol mix
A New Zealand tourist was found dead in her hotel room near Kata Beach, prompting police to launch an investigation into the circumstances.
Officers from Karon Police Station were called to the scene at around 2.45pm after hotel staff reported that a guest had been found unresponsive.
Police Lieutenant Phirawat Yodtor said forensic investigators and a doctor were immediately dispatched.
“The woman was found lying on her bed with no signs of struggle or injury. We discovered prescription medications, including antidepressants, along with three opened cans of alcohol and two cocktail glasses.”
Police believe the 47 year old Kiwi woman may have died hours before her body was found. A preliminary forensic report suggested a possible reaction between prescription drugs and alcohol, leading to respiratory failure.
Hotel staff were alerted by a friend of the deceased, a 49 year old German man, who said he discovered she was not breathing when he tried to wake her. Staff attempted CPR and called emergency medical services, but she could not be revived.
The German man told police he and the woman had been drinking at a bar in Kata before returning to the hotel at about 1am.
“She had consumed a large amount of alcohol. We had another drink in the room, then went to sleep. Around noon, I woke up when staff knocked on the door. When I went to wake her, she wasn’t breathing.”
Police took the man in for questioning and conducted a drug test and physical examination, both of which returned negative results.
CCTV footage and hotel entry records supported his account, confirming the pair had returned together and that no one else entered the room overnight. Bar staff also confirmed there were no disputes or suspicious behaviour before the couple left.
Forensic investigators estimated the woman had been dead for eight to 10 hours before discovery, placing the likely time of death between 6.30am and 8.30am, reported The Phuket News.
Police photographed the scene and collected evidence, including a diagram of the room layout. The body was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.
Karon Police confirmed the case remains under investigation.
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