No foul play in death of missing Russian man in Pha Ngan

In an update to the tragic news out of Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, a body found in the woods has been confirmed to be that of a missing Russian tourist. Further, initial investigations point to no signs of foul play in the Russian man’s death. It appears that Nikita Grigoryev snuck out of Koh Pha Ngan Hospital into the woods nearby and died shortly thereafter.

The 30 year old Russian man checked himself into the hospital on September 14 for a check-up after complaining of insomnia. Nurses led him to a bed to wait to be seen by a doctor. But when the doctor came, the Russian man was nowhere to be found. His friends reported him missing and posted on Facebook to ask for people to help find the missing Russian in a fragile mental state. His friends made known he was experiencing acute psychosis and offered a 35,000 baht reward.

He and his friends had just arrived on the island a few days before his disappearance, having travelled from Phuket in time for Full Moon Party on September 10 according to the Phuket News. Just four days later he disappeared and when police searched for him, they came up empty-handed. There was no sign that he had ever left the island so search efforts continued.

On Wednesday Burmese residents were clearing land on Khao Raet Mountain to plant crops when someone stumbled upon a body in the dense forest area and notified the police. The remains had decomposed but were still clad in the same plaid shorts and orange singlet he was wearing when he was last seen.

A bag belonging to the man was found near his body with his passport, cash, photos, and a phone charger. But forensic experts will still have to examine the bones before announcing a cause of death and officially confirming the body is that of the missing Russian man. Initial investigations uncovered no signs of a struggle or any foul play. There were no broken bones or injuries found on his body.

The body found Wednesday was only about one kilometre away from Pha Ngan Hospital where the Russian man had escaped according to the Phuket Express. Friends of the man reportedly confirmed it was him, but a DNA test must be run to truly confirm his identity.