PATTAYA, THAILAND – A 41-year-old Russian oncologist was found dead in his hotel room at Jomtien Beach, and investigators treated the case as suspected murder.
Key lead from victim’s mother
The doctor, Boris Tyutyunikov from Krasnoyarsk, had arrived in Thailand in early January, and contact with him broke off shortly after his arrival. His mother gave police a crucial tip, saying that in their last conversation her son mentioned he had become a witness to an attempted assault on a woman.
“He might have intervened or been noticed by the perpetrator,”
said investigators, who treated this as a main line of inquiry.
Hotel room showed signs of struggle
Hotel staff raised the alarm when Boris did not leave his room, and police later discovered his body. Thai forensic experts determined that the cause of death was injuries from a violent attack, and there were clear signs of a struggle in the room. Because his money, valuables and documents were still there, investigators ruled out robbery as a motive.
Police review CCTV and seek key witness
The Thai police launched an intensive investigation and reviewed all CCTV footage from the surrounding area. Hotel employees and potential witnesses were questioned, with a central objective being to identify the woman whom Boris might have tried to help. No suspect had yet been officially named, while the Russian embassy in Bangkok supported both the authorities and the family.
Fundraising effort for body repatriation
Because the doctor’s travel insurance did not cover criminal incidents, colleagues and patients organized a fundraising campaign. The money needed to transport his body back to Russia was collected within just 24 hours, described as a wave of solidarity. The case deeply unsettled the large Russian community in Pattaya and cast a stark light on security in the city.
Second troubling case of missing Russian
In a separate incident, another Russian mother searched desperately for her missing son. He disappeared on 7 January after meeting two compatriots about a cannabis investment, reportedly carrying 10,000 US dollars and fearing for his safety before contact was lost. The two cases further fueled debate about crime in Pattaya.