Songkhla: A female Chinese tourist found dead at a waterfall in Hat Yai district last week was almost certainly killed before being thrown into the water, police said yesterday after receiving the autopsy results.
A Chinese man suspected of knowing the victim, Lei Tian, 28, was detained following the discovery of her body and is being questioned by police.
An initial interrogation of the man, identified as Hai Longzhao, pointed towards "other suspects" in China, deputy Tourist Police Bureau chief Surachate Hakparn said after meeting Lei's uncle yesterday.
Mr Hai denied any involvement, he said.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate said the autopsy found the woman had been hit many times with a hard object. Examiners concluded that she was likely to have already been dead when her body was dumped in the waterfall on Sept 20.
A taxi driver who had driven Lei to Ton Nga Chang waterfall had said earlier that the woman appeared to know Mr Hai as he saw her point finger at him they arrived at the waterfall's car park.
His car, a white Honda City, was spotted there and was the last to leave the spot.
"Investigators are now giving consideration to jealousy as a potential motive," Pol Maj Gen Surachate said.
The deputy Tourist Police Bureau chief will today meet Chinese embassy officials to discuss the case.