Police probe mystery death of Russian husband in Phuket

Police are investigating the mystery death of a Russian man found dead in a ditch in Phuket, Thailand.

Captain Peerawat Yodtor of the Karon Police Station said officers received a report about a male corpse discovered near a road along Karon Beach on September 3 afternoon.

Officials named the deceased as Ilia Orlov, 27, who had entered Thailand with his wife through the 90-day visa-free policy.

The police chief said: 'We were notified that a foreign male tourist was found dead in a canal near the Naga statue in front of Karon Beach.

'The investigation team then checked the CCTV cameras in the area and called nearby stations to check for any missing persons reports. The man's body will undergo a post-mortem at the Vachira Phuket Hospital to find the exact cause of death. His death has been reported to the Russian Embassy.'

Ilia was wearing only a pair of shorts and had deep cuts on both of his arms that exposed muscle and bone. Medical examiners said there were bruises and wounds on his head indicating he was struck with a blunt object.

The Russian is believed to have been dead for at least eight hours.

A travel bag found near his body contained a laptop, a charger, several cards, and passports belonging to a Russian man Aleksandrov, and a Russian woman Svetlana Alekseevna.

Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, said: 'We found documents at the scene indicating that he entered Phuket for the first time on January 24 with a 90-day free visa, which he later extended at the Satun Immigration Bureau.'

Authorities tracked down Ilia's wife, but she was reportedly reluctant to meet them due to her overstaying status.

Ilia's mother who had been staying in Chonburi revealed the couple's address to the cops on September 4.

Investigators visited the residence and found a large quantity of cannabis on the property. They took Orlov's wife to the Karon Police Station and questioned her through an interpreter. However, she was said to be 'stressed' and could not provide much information.

She claimed she last saw her husband on September 2 afternoon. He had brought the bag containing a MacBook, and was wearing the same clothes in which he was found dead.

The investigation was ongoing.

Thailand has seen an influx of Russians seeking safety since the conflict erupted with Ukraine in 2022.

Despite concerns surrounding continued law-breaking from some of them, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has welcomed the influx of foreign cash and even courted reviled Russian leader Vladimir Putin.