The body of a man found in the Chao Phraya River is believed to be that of a Japanese tourist who went missing in Thailand late last year and is thought to have committed suicide, according to an initial police inspection.
His loss of contact with his family since Dec 27 last year, described by his relatives as "unprecedented behaviour", worried them for weeks until police investigators identified the man's body Sunday following a preliminary autopsy as that of Sonam Tsuboi, aged 22.
The discovery followed checks by investigators with police stations located near Khao San Road, where the man was last seen.
A tattoo on the body's left ankle suggests it is Tsuboi, said Pol Maj Gen Itthiphon Atchariya, Metropolitan Police Bureau's chief for interrogation, referring to accounts given by his family.
During their trip to Thailand to search for Tsuboi earlier this month, the family told police about the victim's tattoo. He designed it himself to make it unique, they said.
His relatives have been contacted to identify the body at Siriraj Hospital's forensic unit.
The hospital is near Wang Lang pier where the body was first spotted drifting along the river on Dec 30.
The man was wearing a brown undershirt and green shorts. He was wearing a gold ring on his finger, and was carrying Thai banknotes and coins worth about 70 baht.
The investigators found no traces of injuries on his body and nothing appeared to be missing, so "we initially believe the man might have committed suicide", Pol Maj Gen Itthiphon said, saying officers are waiting for an autopsy report from the hospital.
He added the officers have also learned the man argued with his girlfriend before the disappearance.
According to accounts given by Tsuboi's mother Asako and his elder brother, Tsuboi arranged to meet his girlfriend in Thailand during a break from his work in Australia.
He said he would meet her at Suvarnabhumi airport on Jan 7 but, on the night of Dec 27, the two talked on the phone and Tsuboi is said to have told her not to come to Thailand.
Tsuboi spoke in a tone his relatives described as "suspicious", they said, adding his girlfriend eventually came to Thailand but did not see him.
His family were worried because what happened was unusual. Tsuboi was a good-natured and responsible man who loved travelling to new places, they said.
They had no idea of what was really behind the disappearance.
็They decided to come to Thailand on Jan 18 and began their search for Tsuboi in many areas, including Mae Hong Son's Pai district where Tsuboi had told them he enjoyed the natural setting.
Tsuboi arrived in Thailand in early December last year. It was his second time in the country after a trip to the North two years ago, according to police.
His relatives said he came to Thailand with Japanese friends, but while his friends went back home after the trip, Tsuboi decided to stay on, though he booked air tickets to return home with his girlfriend on Jan 12.