PHUKET, THAILAND – A British tourist was found dead in a concrete drainage system near Bang Tao Beach, and police treated the case as an unexplained death while they examined his final hours.
Body found in concrete channel near Bang Tao
A worker from Myanmar who was harvesting vegetables in the area discovered Jordan Wright on 14 March at around 12:30 p.m., lying face down in standing water and immediately alerted the authorities.
When emergency teams arrived, the man was in a concrete drainage channel, and police said the circumstances of his death initially could not be explained.
Condition of the body and first clues
Wright was barefoot, wearing a grey shirt and black trousers, and his body already showed clear swelling, indicating he had been in the water for some time.
Investigators found an iPhone near the bank, while a hotel keycard in his trouser pocket linked him to the COCO Phuket Bangtao hotel.
Last contact and hotel reports
According to police, Wright had checked into the hotel alone and was due to check out on 13 March but, according to staff, did not return to the property afterwards.
CCTV footage reportedly showed him appearing restless in front of the hotel shortly before leaving, before his movements led in the direction of the later discovery site.
No signs of violence; room searched
At the initial examination at the scene, officers found no visible signs of an attack or external violence on the body.
A search of the hotel room also revealed no traces of forced entry, ransacking or other suspicious indications.
Ongoing investigation and coordination with authorities
Police for the time being classified the case as an unexplained death and sought to reconstruct Wright’s final movements in detail to clarify how he reached the area near the beach.
As is customary in cases involving deceased foreign nationals, the authorities said they were in contact with the relevant offices, which generally included coordination with the embassy and local authorities.
Autopsy at Vachira Phuket Hospital
The body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a full examination, where an autopsy was to determine the exact cause of death.
Investigators also planned to check whether drugs or other substances played a role and expected further details only after receiving the results and conducting additional interviews.