Korean Tourist's Body Found in Thailand, Suspect Being Tracked... Threatening Calls Received

A man in his 30s from Korea was found dead in a reservoir in Pattaya, a famous resort area in Thailand, and the police are pursuing suspects.

According to the police authorities and local media Khaosod on the 12th, the body of the man discovered the previous day was contained in a plastic container solidified with cement.

The police estimate that this man is a Korean tourist, Mr. A, who entered Thailand on the 30th of last month and went missing in the capital, Bangkok.

Earlier, Mr. A's mother received a threatening phone call around noon on the 7th from an assailant saying, "Mr. A caused harm by discarding drugs, so if you do not send 3 million baht (approximately 112 million KRW), I will kill your son."

Mr. A's mother immediately reported this to the Korean Embassy in Thailand, and the local police, upon the embassy's request, began an investigation.

Thai police are examining the body of a Korean tourist contained in a black plastic container recovered from a reservoir in Pattaya, Thailand.
[Photo by Thai media Khaosod homepage capture]

The police secured a statement from Mr. A's Thai wife that she last saw Mr. A at a bar in the Huai Kwang area of Thailand on the 2nd.

The Huai Kwang area is known to be about a 1 hour and 50 minutes drive from Pattaya, where Mr. A was found.

Analysis of nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) confirmed that around 2 a.m. on the 3rd, two Korean men put Mr. A into a car and headed toward Pattaya.

It was also identified that they purchased a plastic container and rope, stayed at the reservoir for about an hour, and then left.

The police are treating this as a case of kidnapping for ransom followed by murder and are tracking three suspects.

Among them, one person left Thailand on the 9th, and the whereabouts of the remaining two are being sought.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Korean police are supporting the victim's family through the local consulate and have requested a prompt and thorough investigation from the local police.

A Korean police official said, "While assisting the local investigation, we will also sincerely care for the bereaved family by comforting them."