PHITSANULOK-A British man was found floating dead in the Nan River in this northern province on Thursday morning and police were investigating the cause of his death.
The 74-year-old man (whose name was withheld pending notification of his relatives) was found in the river behind Wat Tha Maprang temple in Muang district by local residents at around 9.30am, said Pol Capt Anuwat Wattanakarun, a duty officer at Muang police station.
Rescue workers retrieved the body of the man, wearing black trousers, a white shirt and shoes, from the river and moved it to a nearby pier in front of Wat Chan Tawan Ork.
Police found no bruises on the body. A driving licence bearing his name, 2,640 baht cash, a watch, a car key and a key ring of house keys were recovered from his clothing.
A doctor examining the body said the man had died at least four hours previously.
A woman who arrived at the pier, Ms Puangthong Nuanchan, 59, identified herself to police as the younger sister of the dead foreigner’s Thai wife.
The woman said her brother-in-law had lived in Phitsanulok for more than 10 years, and worked as an English language teacher at a college in the province before his retirement.
The man mostly stayed at home with his wife, said Ms Puangthong, and sometimes drove to visit his expat friends.
She visited her sister’s house on Tuesday, she said, and he was there as usual. It was the last time she saw him.
Police contacted the deceased man's wife Prathuang to notify her about the death of her husband. The wife was not aware of his disappearance and the location of his car. The officers planned to question her further.
Investigators have yet to establish the cause of death.
A rescue worker retrieves the body of a 74-year-old foreigner, found later to be a British national, from the Nan River in Phitsanulok province on Thursday. (Photo by Chinnawat Singha)
(Photo by Chinnawat Singha)