British tourist probed after woman’s body found in his hotel room

A British tourist is being investigated after a Thai woman was found dead in his hotel room.

Bearach Beataidh, 71, was last seen kissing and holding hands with Duangta Khampongsom, 45, as the pair walked into his hotel room in Pattaya, Thailand, on December 18.

Bearach, from County Down, Northern Ireland, was captured on CCTV emerging from the room on December 22.

Building caretaker Prayoon Chinsai, 57, called the police later that morning when he noticed a foul odour coming from the room.

When he knocked and no one answered, he used a spare key to open the door – only to find a woman’s body decaying in the room.

Officers came to the building and found Bearach at a nearby bar, where he told the authorities he was ‘aware’ of the body, but didn’t report it to police because he said he didn’t ‘know she was dead’.

Police Captain Puttharak Sonkhamhan of the Pattaya City Police Station said officers are questioning Bearach about the incident, adding: ‘The woman had been dead for at least three days. Her body had started to decay and bloat, giving off a foul smell throughout the room.

‘She was wearing only denim shorts and nothing on her top half. An inspection of the room found no signs of a struggle or ransacking. It would be difficult not to notice she was dead as her body was already decomposing. There was also fluid and blood on the bed.’

Bearach said he invited Duangta, a prostitute from a nearby bar, to stay in his room after she was allegedly assaulted by an unknown attacker on December 18.

He told police: ”She kept vomiting and sleeping the whole time, but I did not think it was anything abnormal. I understood that she felt weak and exhausted. We last spoke on December 19.’

Bearach claimed he did not realise she had died ‘because there was no unusual smell’ in the room. He has denied hurting or killing her.

Duangta’s body was taken to the Bang Lamung Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Doctors have not clarified the cause of her death.

Police Captain Puttharak said: ‘Forensic police are continuing to collect fingerprints and DNA because we do not believe his testimony. All CCTV is being checked.’

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