A 28-year-old Lao woman, Phraimany, also known as Namfon, was discovered dead at a luxury 7-story condominium in Pattaya, Chonburi Province on August 8, with Thai police suspecting that the use of drugs may be involved.
The discovery was made after Namfon’s friend, Nong (an alias), alerted Chonburi authorities around 6:00 pm. Officers arrived to find Namfon’s body in the bathroom, with severe injuries to her throat, leading to an official pronouncement of death at the scene. Authorities believe Namfon had been dead for about 12 hours.
Initially, it was suspected that Namfon had been attacked with a sharp object, as two knives—a large kitchen knife and a smaller fruit knife—were found near her body. However, forensic experts later reported that only Namfon’s fingerprints were on the knives. CCTV footage also showed no other individuals entering the room before the incident.
Additionally, Nong revealed that Namfon was a regular drug user, suggesting that her death might have been a drug-induced suicide rather than a result of foul play.
Prior to the discovery of her body, Nong had been contacted by Namfon’s sister, who was unable to reach her. Nong, along with 48-year-old Chinese national Chang Zhi—who had been in a relationship with Namfon for three years—went to the condominium. They found the door locked from the inside and had to hire a locksmith to gain entry, where they discovered Namfon’s body.
Following the discovery, authorities questioned Chang, who said that on the night before Namfon’s death, she was intoxicated and had accused a ghost of threatening her, before locking him out of the room.
Although the Chinese national remains the primary person of interest, authorities have yet to determine whether the death was the result of homicide or self-harm. It has also been revealed that Chang overstayed his visa by four years, complicating the investigation.
