FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

German tourist’s island death could be accident or suicide, say police

German tourist’s island death could be accident or suicide, say police

Police are unsure whether a German tourist found dead on Wednesday night on Koh Phi Phi fell from rocks or suicided.

The body of Markus Steibach, 50, was found on Wednesday night lying near a rock formation on the beach next to a sea gypsy graveyard in Ban Laem Dong village on popular Koh Phi Phi.
The man appeared to have wounds to his eyelids and left ear and bruises on both ankles and was believed to have been dead for 12 hours.
On Thursday, Koh Phi Phi police station’s inspector Pol Lt-Colonel Chokdee Mabang led officers to interrogate the manager and staff of Erawan Hotel on the island where the German stayed.
Pichai Chaiwongkham, the manager, said the tourist had checked in on August 24 and was scheduled to leave on September 2. He was last seen alive on August 27.
Pichai said anti-depressant medicine was found in Steibach’s room.
Pol Lt-Colonel Santipoj Nuanruang, deputy inspector of the Phi Phi police station, said police are waiting for results of a post-mortem at Surat Thani Hospital to rule out murder.
Police have initially theorised that the man might have either accidentally fallen from the rocks or deliberately suicided by jumping, he said.

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