BANGKOK, THAILAND – A young British tourist was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room under unexplained circumstances as police and forensic doctors awaited the final autopsy report.
Tourist found dead in Sukhumvit hotel room
The Briton, identified by Thai police as Joshua Kershaw from Grimsby in Lincolnshire, was found dead on Tuesday, 13 January, in a room at Maxim’s Inn on Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 in Bangkok’s Watthana district. The hotel is located in a densely built nightlife area of the Thai capital. Less than twelve hours earlier, CCTV cameras had recorded him entering the hotel at about 5:45 a.m. carrying two beer bottles and going alone to his room; no one was seen leaving the room and no additional visitor was registered afterward.
Collapse in bar and late-night hospital discharge
On the night before his death, Kershaw had been in a bar directly opposite the hotel, according to witness accounts. CCTV images showed him there with a woman, with one witness stating that the pair arrived at about 1:30 a.m. and sat on red chairs in a corner near a pool table. Staff said he ordered pizza, fried chicken and beer specifically for two people, ate very quickly and appeared extremely hungry, before falling from his chair to the floor and losing consciousness.
Emergency response and unclear treatment
The woman accompanying him screamed for help as staff and the bar owner rushed over, and an employee called emergency services. An ambulance from Chulalongkorn Hospital took the Briton to the clinic; witnesses initially suspected choking, but no medical diagnosis was made at the scene. Police later confirmed he was treated in hospital and discharged the same night, though what treatment he received remained unknown.
Body discovered after missed checkout
On the afternoon of 13 January, hotel staff noticed that Kershaw had not checked out. A maid went to the room, knocked without getting a response and eventually opened the door with a master key; the door had not been locked. Inside, she found Kershaw motionless, not breathing and with pale skin, and immediately called the emergency number.
No signs of struggle in hotel room
Emergency medics from Erawan services and doctors from Chulalongkorn Hospital could only certify his death, and the Lumpini police station was notified at 3:16 p.m. Investigators and a forensic doctor secured the room and reported no signs of a struggle, no evidence of forced entry and no visible disorder. Kershaw’s body was prepared for a forensic examination.
Bruising, foam and pending autopsy
During the initial examination, officers noted bruises on the back of his right hand and a fine white foam around his mouth. The conjunctiva in both eyes was described as strikingly pale, while no pinpoint haemorrhages or injuries to the inner lips were observed. Hospital wristbands were found on his wrist and arm, linked to his prior treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital, but there were no additional medical devices or medications in the room, and the body was transferred to the hospital’s forensic institute as the cause of death remained undetermined.
Discrepancies in age and name
Thai police identified Kershaw as a British national from Grimsby but gave differing ages in early reports, initially stating 21 and later 22, without further clarification. British media later reported on the case under the name Joshua James Sadler, while Thai authorities consistently used the name Joshua Kershaw, and no explanation for the discrepancy in names was made public.
Short Bangkok trip and abandoned onward plans
According to his family, Kershaw had travelled to Bangkok on 12 January for a short holiday and checked into Maxim’s Inn shortly after arriving. The Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 area is known for its dense nightlife infrastructure. That evening he last contacted his mother, writing that he was going to get something to eat, later sending photos of food, followed by images showing him with beer but without clear landmarks in the background.
Family searches while tourist already dead
He had previously told relatives he intended to travel on to Pattaya, but he never arrived there, and police in Pattaya had no record of him; investigators later confirmed he had not left Bangkok. While he was already dead in the hotel, his family in the United Kingdom searched for more than a week, believing he was in Pattaya. Police said the British Embassy in Bangkok was informed on 13 January after the scene examination, but his relatives were not notified immediately.
Delayed notification and high-risk missing status
The family received official confirmation only on 21 January, via family friend Anna Mohammed, who had filed a missing person report. She said she had been in contact with Pattaya police, who initially had no leads because Kershaw’s accommodation and precise whereabouts were unclear for some time. During this period, UK authorities classified him as a high-risk missing person, and British media coverage focused on his disappearance and the delay in informing his family.
Fundraising for repatriation and unknown visitor
A fundraising campaign was launched in parallel, initially to help relatives travel to Bangkok to organise the search. After his death was confirmed, the campaign’s goal was changed to cover the costs of repatriating his body, and by Saturday evening it had raised £12,257 from 789 donors. Police also confirmed that later on 13 January a man came to the hotel asking for Kershaw and was told he had died, but authorities released no further details about the visitor’s identity or relationship to the deceased.
Investigation continues as autopsy awaited
Investigators questioned hotel staff and other witnesses and continued to review CCTV footage. So far, police said they had found no indications of external violence. They stated that they were coordinating with the relevant specialist units, and that the case would remain open until the final autopsy report was available.