PATTAYA – On Sunday, March 10, officials at Pattaya City Police Station were alerted that a foreigner’s body had been found in a grove beside the road in Soi Thepprasit 9, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province.
They went to investigate alongside tourist police and rescue workers in a big wild area of over 20 rai. They had to walk around 20-30 metres into the grove to discover the body of a foreigner hanging. A mobile phone was kept in the jeans pocket, and a water bottle was nearby. However, no identifying documents were located.
Later, the police conducted an investigation and identified the deceased as Mr. Mikhail, 34 years old and of Russian nationality. He arrived in Thailand on January 20, 2024, and can stay until April 18. They sent the body for an autopsy at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, Police Hospital in Bangkok.
Mr. Chusak Saetiao, 46, the villager who alerted the police, stated that about 8 a.m., there was a motorbike taxi driver running with a shocked expression to inform him that he had discovered the dead corpse of a foreigner. So he went to investigate, found out it was real, and was horrified.
Then he contacted the authorities. He had never seen this foreign man before, although foreigners walk through this lane every day. The majority are Russians. On Saturday night, around 9-10 p.m., we heard dogs barking, but he did not come out for a look.
Police then examined CCTV cameras near the scene of the incident and discovered footage of this individual walking into the grove at approximately 3:38 a.m. The Russian man turned on his mobile phone’s torch and glanced into the grove, holding a water bottle in his left hand, walking into the forest before returning. He walked into the grove again at 3:39 a.m. and never returned.
Officials will work with tourism and immigration police to determine the cause of death and will notify the Russian Embassy further.
