PHUKET: A woman with muscular atrophy was found dead with dog bite wounds to her neck at her home in Thalang district on Tuesday morning.
Her brother, who lives with her, owns two Thai ridgebacks. Police speculate that she fell while feeding them and one of the startled dogs attacked her.
She was alone at the time. Her body was found by a colleague who became worried when she did not answer her phone calls and went to see if she was all right.
Police were called to the house about 10am. They found Sarinrat La-ongpanichkul, 38, lying dead on the terrace outside the front door of the house in tambon Pa Khlok, Pol Cap Suchart Luecha, deputy crime suppression chief at Thalang, said.
He said four family members stayed in the house, but Sarinrat was alone at the time as the three others had gone to Bangkok. She suffered from spinal muscular atrophy and had difficulty controlling muscle movement.
The woman had bite wounds to the left side of her neck. Police believed she was attacked by one or both of two young Thai ridgeback dogs, or lang ahn, at the house, aged 1-2 years. Her elder brother bought the dogs five months ago.
It was suspected she lost control of her movements and fell while feeding the dogs, startling the animals and causing one of them to attack her.
Phuket deputy governor Phichet Panapong said the woman was bitten by one of the dogs. She died between 6-7am. Normally, she worked at her brother's restaurant.
Her brother, who owned the dogs, was notified of her death and was rushing back from Bangkok, Mr Phichet said.
Relatives raised no questions about the cause of death after seeing her body. One dog had blood on its fur and around its mouth. The animal bit into her throat and hit the aorta.
Police were awaiting the autopsy report and would examine security camera recordings.
Arthit Surawisarnkul, a forensic specialist at Varicha Phuket Hospital, said there were two or three bites on the left side of Sarinrat's neck.
Sarinrat's colleague, Supakwee Thorthip, said she had phoned Sarinrat on Tuesday morning but there was no reply. She arrived at the house and saw the body at 9.26am. She dared not touch the body and immediately phoned the victim’s brother and his wife and sent photos to them.
The two young Thai ridgeback dogs at the house. The light brown-coloured one is blamed for the attack. (Photo: Achathaya Chuenniran)
The Thai ridgeback dog, or lang ahn, believed to have killed the woman. (Photo: Achathaya Chuenniran)