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.