BURI RAM: A man believed to be a foreigner was found dead with a plastic bag over his head inside a deserted building in the grounds of an agricultural college in this northeastern province on Tuesday.

Students found the body in a building at the Buriram College of Agriculture and Technology on Tuesday morning, police said.

The dead man was covered with a blanket and hidden from view behind a noticeboard propped up against the wall.

There was a plastic bag fastened securely over his head, with a tube leading from it to a small can of butane gas. A doctor estimated the man had been dead 2-3 days.

College students told police they had seen two plastic bags near the building on Saturday, but did not open them.  On Tuesday they went back to the area and saw the bags were still there, and there was also a bad smell coming from the building. They went to investigate, found the man's body and immediately reported it.

Police said it was unclear whether the man took his own life or was murdered. His body was sent to a forensic institute for post-mortem examination.

Police were looking to identify the man and track down any friends or relatives.