Tourist falls to death in Phuket

Police inspect the room on the 11th floor of the hotel on Patong beach in Phuket where the tourist was staying. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)
Police inspect the room on the 11th floor of the hotel on Patong beach in Phuket where the tourist was staying. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)

A 22-year-old Australian man died in a fall from the 11th floor of his hotel in Patong district on Monday night.

The man was identified by police as Billy James Simmons.

The man was found dead on the ground, face up, on a footpath below his room at the back of The Royal Paradise Resort Hotel & Spa in tambon Patong of Kathu district by a security guard about 10pm, said Pol Lt Col Ekkachai, an inspector of Phuket Tourist Police. 

Police examined his room on the 11th floor. They found no signs of violence or struggle. He stayed alone in the room. There was an open bottle of Thai whisky on a table, almost full.

However, police said it was likely alcohol contributed to his fall and death.

The body was taken to Patong Hospital.

Police said Simmons travelled to Phuket with a group of 11 friends and had been staying at the hotel since May 14. They were scheduled to return to Australia on May 28.

The Australian consular office has been informed. Simmons' friends told police that his father would fly to Phuket on Wednesday to take the body back to Australia.

Pol Lt Col Sarit Budnongsaeng, deputy investigation chief at Patong, said the investigation into the man's death was still open.

Vocabulary

  • consular: involving government officials who represent their country in a foreign city - เกี่ยวกับกงสุล
  • contributed to: helped to cause an event or situation - ช่วยก่อให้เกิด
  • footpath: a path that is made for people to walk along - ทางเดิน
  • inform: to tell somebody about something, especially in an official way - แจ้งให้ทราบ
  • inspector: an officer of middle rank in the police force - สารวัตร
  • scheduled: planned to happen at a particular time or day - ตามตารางเวลา
  • struggle: fighting somebody or trying to get away from them - การต่อสู้
  • violence: physical force with the deliberate intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people - ความรุนแรง, การใช้กำลังทำลาย
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