Message in the sand: Nepali tailor found dead on Phuket beach
Haunting final word scrawled near body as Kata Beach tragedy deepens
A mystery death on one of Phuket’s most popular beaches has left locals and tourists shaken, after a Nepali tailor was found hanged with a chilling message written in the sand beside him.
The body of the man, later identified as Marike, was discovered beneath a pandanus tree on Kata Beach in the early hours of yesterday morning, May 13, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, but no shoes. A plastic chair was nearby, along with a pair of brown flip-flops.
But it was a single, eerie word written in the sand that truly stunned police and onlookers: “God,” scrawled in Nepali.
The grim discovery was made around 6.08am by a hotel security guard, who immediately alerted Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekasak Kwanwan, senior investigator at Karon Police Station. Police, forensic doctors, and rescue teams quickly arrived at the scene.
Initial investigations revealed the 39 year old had been dead for at least three hours. A close friend, also a Nepalese tailor working in the same shop, told officers the victim had been struggling with financial problems.
Police believe the man took his own life, though an autopsy will be conducted at Vachira Phuket Hospital to determine the official cause of death.
Amarin TV reported that police are also reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area in an effort to rule out foul play.
The tragedy is the latest in a string of recent foreigner deaths in Phuket. Just days earlier, Anthony John Heathcote, a 41 year old Australian father-of-two, was found dead after going missing near Freedom Beach. He is believed to have drowned after being caught in a powerful current.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wiwat Chamnankit said Heathcote’s body was found on Saturday, May 10, about 20 metres offshore, two weeks into what was meant to be a dream holiday.
The drowning followed the death of another Australian tourist, a 22 year old man, on May 6. He reportedly died after swimming intoxicated off Racha Island. Though he was briefly revived with CPR, he tragically died at hospital.
Phuket police have since issued urgent warnings to tourists to take extra care around the island’s beaches, particularly during the monsoon season, when rip currents and strong tides are common.
Locals say the back-to-back tragedies have cast a sombre cloud over Phuket’s tourism scene and sparked calls for improved safety measures and support for struggling expat workers.
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