PHUKET - A French tourist was found dead in a hotel room in this island province with his throat slashed, and police believe it to be a suicide.
The 63-year-old tourist's name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.
He was found in a room at a well-known hotel in Kathu district about 9pm on Wednesday, Pol Capt Sirinart Cherdchutrakulthong, a deputy chief investigator at Kathu, said.
The man was lying face down in a pool blood in the bathroom, with his throat cut, Thai media reported on Thursday.
He was wearing a purple T-shirt, short pants and canvas shoes. A 12cm kitchen knife was found near his body. There were no indications the hotel room had been ransacked. A mobile phone, a computer, a wallet and a credit card belonging to dead man were still in the room.
Investigators were told the man had checked into the hotel alone on Nov 4 and was due to leave on Nov 30. He had a visitor about 9.30am on Wednesday who knocked on the door several times. When there was no response, the friend left.
Around 9pm the same friend returned and again knocked on the door. When there was again no response he expressed concern and asked a caretaker to use a master key to open the door. They found the body in the bathroom.
Police said the Frenchman may have had a personal problem that drove him to slash his own throat, but were investigating.