SAMUI -- Police have arrested a French man on suspicion of killing a compatriot whose body was found near a waterfall on Koh Samui on Thursday morning.
The suspect identified as Paul was the owner of a restaurant on the tourist island. Police are searching for two other men identified as Yves and Michael who are suspected of being accomplices, Daily News quoted Pol Col Paitoon Krajajang, chief of Samul police station as saying.
Pol Col Paitoon said an initial investigation into the killing of the French national, who was in his 40s, indicated there had been a conflict over the restaurant business.
The victim was shot dead before being dumped in a stream about 2km from Tarzan waterfall in tambon Mae Nam of Koh Samui district.
Mr Paul was the last person to see the dead man before he disappeared, Pol Col Paitoon said.
The discovery was reported to Koh Samui police at around 9.30am on Thursday.
Police called to the scene said the dead man had three injuries similar to gunshot wounds on his neck and a 4-centimetre-long gash on the forehead.
His wife and a friend told police the dead man went to a restaurant not very far from where his body was found on Wednesday night and they had no contact from him since.
A witness said he heard a dog barking near the spot at 11pm and when he left his house to check he saw a car drive in and park nearby for about 20 minutes before leaving. He could not give details of the car as it was too dark.