BANGKOK, THAILAND – The death of British tourist Joshua Kershaw, found dead in a Bangkok hotel on 13 January, raised questions as police did not rule out murder.
Investigation into the death of Joshua Kershaw
Thai police had not yet received official post-mortem reports and continued to pursue all lines of inquiry, including homicide and possible drug overdose. Lieutenant Colonel Pairat Khamlee stated that the investigation was still ongoing.
The family said the case was now being treated as “murder/manslaughter”, citing preliminary toxicology findings. According to them, tests showed a combination of seven different substances in Kershaw’s system at extremely high concentrations.
Final hours before his death
Kershaw went straight to his hotel after arriving in Bangkok and later visited bars nearby. Witnesses reported seeing him with a woman described as an African sex worker.
At about 2:20 a.m., Kershaw collapsed in a venue while the woman stood nearby. Police said there was no indication that she had administered drugs or had been involved in any altercation with him.
Return to hotel and discovery of the body
After a brief stay in hospital, Kershaw returned to his hotel at around 5:30 a.m. He was found dead in his room the following afternoon by a cleaner.
Investigators questioned several witnesses, including hotel staff and bar employees. They also reviewed CCTV footage in an effort to reconstruct the sequence of events and focused on the last hours of his life.
Family calls for full investigation
Kershaw’s mother, Jenny, expressed her distress and demanded a complete and proper investigation.
“No family should have to fight this hard to understand how their loved one died.”
said Jenny, his mother.
The family urged the authorities to clarify the circumstances of his death and to act transparently. They called for the results of the post-mortem and toxicological examinations to be fully disclosed.
Criticism of police response
Concerns were raised about the initial police response at the scene. It was alleged that the first responding officer did not inform the British embassy and initially treated the incident as a routine drugs case.
Authorities did not confirm these claims but stressed that the investigation was continuing. Final conclusions depended on the official post-mortem and toxicology reports, while the family continued to seek answers and awaited confirmation from a British pathologist.