Pattaya police are trying to identify a foreign man found dead with his throat slit on Koh Larn.
The body of the mid-40s man dressed in a short wetsuit, believed to be a westerner based on his physical structure, was found tied to a concrete pile about 500 meters off Samae Beach on the resort island Dec. 16. A backpack was found near the body.
Police suspect foul play, but said the fatal throat wound could have come from a boat propeller.
Divers on Dec. 18 recovered evidence from the ocean floor near the body, including a cutting tool, dive mask, swim cap and snorkel. Police planned to check if they contained fingerprints of anyone else but the victim.
The first challenge for authorities is simply to identify who the victim was. He was carrying no identification and a fisherman and resort owner near the crime scene didn’t recognize him. Police said one dive shop owner said he possibly resembled one of his customers.
Region 2 police have declared the case a priority and hope to get a break in the investigation soon.
