SURAT THANI: A 35-year-old nurse was found strangled to death in her dormitory room on the tourist island of Koh Samui on Wednesday morning, with her car missing.
Police received a report about the discovery in the staff dormitory of a private hospital at village Moo 1 in tambon Bo Phut at about 8am on Wednesday, said Pol Lt Patdanai Thiangpranee, an investigator at the Bo Phut police station.
Pol Col Denduang Thongsrisuk, the station chief, coordinated with forensic officers and a duty doctor from Koh Samui Hospital to investigate.
The crime scene was a two-storey building used as staff accommodation across the street from the hospital. The victim was identified as Anchulee Wongmuang, 35, a nurse at the hospital. She was from Sai Mai district in Bangkok.
The victim was found lying on her back on the bed, wearing only black underwear. A tattoo of a sun was visible on her right collarbone. Her neck had been tightly bound with a shirt, and a green T-shirt had been used to cover her face.
Upon removal of the T-shirt, police found abrasions on the right side of her neck — 1.5cm on the upper part and 3cm on the lower part. There were signs of trauma to the centre of her head.
There were signs of a struggle in the room, with items scattered across the floor. An empty condom wrapper was also found.
Initial witness statements revealed that the victim lived alone and had returned to her room around midnight. She was seen leaving and returning again around 2am. A nearby resident reported hearing cries for help followed by silence.
Later in the morning, a colleague came to check on her, but received no response. She then used a spare key to enter the room and discovered the body.
A police investigation found that that the victim’s grey Nissan sedan, registered in Bangkok, was missing.
Police investigators believe a suspect fled with the vehicle. The motive for the murder was not yet known.