PHUKET: A young Russian man has been found dead with severe injuries in a ditch at Karon beach, and police believe he was killed elsewhere and his body dumped there.
He was wearing only a pair of shorts and lying on his back in the ditch near the Naga statue along the road fronting Karon beach, Pol Capt Pheerawat Yodtor, investigation officer at Karon police station in Muang district, said.
The discovery of his body was reported to police about 1pm on Tuesday.
The dead man had multiple injuries, including wounds near his eyes, severe bruising around his left ear and deep cuts on both arms. It appeared he had been bludgeoned with a hard object.
Doctors estimated he had been dead for at least 8 hours before his body was found.
A travel bag containing a passport, other documents and a Macbook laptop was found near the body.
Police identified him only as Ilia, and said he was a Russian national. He arrived in Phuket on Jan 24 this year, entering Thailand with his wife through the 90-day visa free policy. His visa expired on July 22 and he extended it by going to Malaysia and back via Satun.
Investigators said it appeared he had been killed elsewhere and his body later disposed of in the ditch. They were examining recordings from security cameras in the area for clues. The body was sent for post-mortem examination to find the exact cause of death.
Media reports said the slain man was 27 years old.
Forensic police were still searching the scene for evidence on Wednesday. The Russian consular office in Phuket had been informed.
The body of the slain Russian was found in the ditch near the Naga statue at Karon beach in Phuket on Tuesday. (Photo: Achadthaya Chuenniran)