SONGKHLA: The gagged and tied body of a 40-year-old man was found in a freshly dug shallow grave in forest beside a golf course in Hat Yai district on Wednesday morning, police said.
Police called to the scene were accompanied by a doctor from Songklanagarind Hospital and a rescue team.
The grave was found near Khlong Pom village in tambon Ban Phru, Pol Capt Piyapong Sangthong, a duty officer at Thung Lung, said.
Villagers helped rescuers dug out the grave and they found the body about 50 centimetres below the surface.
The body was that of a man wearing a pair of blue sport shorts and an orange sport shirt. His hands were tied behind his back and his feet tied together, with creepers. A piece of red cloth was tied around his head and mouth. A black strap bag was around his neck.
Police said he had been hit on the right side of his head with a hard object, which probably killed him.
The dead man was later identified as Maddol Binson, 40, of Hat Yai district. He was an employee of a company contracted to trim trees by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) office of Na Mom district. He was last seen alive on Tuesday evening.
His motorcycle was found in a pond about 300 metres from the grave. There were signs of fighting near the spot.
Police also found plastic sheeting, pieces of cloth and water bottles in the area. They believed it might have been used as a camping ground for illegal migrants.
The investigation into the murder was continuing.