Pattaya Daily News

Pattaya, the 18^th of October 2010 [PDN]: At approximately 7:00am on Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Tarathep Toopanich (Pattaya Police Deputy Superintendent) and Major Pratiphat Phoomlee (Dongtan Police Investigator) were notified of the death of a foreign man at a Jomtien hotel. A team of officers along with the Sawang Boriboon Foundation were dispatched to the incident to investigate.

Arriving at the scene, a 5^th floor room of the hotel, officers found the deceased body of Mr. Garth Pickering Carter [71], an Australian national, formerly a resident of Everton Park on the northwestern outskirts of Brisbane, Queensland.

Mr. Carter was found in a partially decomposed state while lying inside a bathtub full over water. The bathtubs drainage hole had been inexplicably blocked by the shower curtain and a towel, while several other towels, an ashtray and an amount of blood was found on the bathroom floor and side of the bathtub.

Medical examiners have been reluctant to announce the cause of death prior to a post-mortem examination. However they estimate Mr. Carter to have been dead for approximately 2-3 days before being discovered.

Authorities investigating the incident revealed that Mr Carter’s room did not appear to have been searched, while there were no immediate signs of assault present on the mans body to indicate an assault. The presence of numerous photographs of Mr. Carter suggest that the man was a distinguished member of the Royal Australian Navy in his formative years with service medals for campaigns in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea  and an Australian Defence Medal present in his room.

Along with the discovery of a small amount of medication and a recent bill from the Pattaya Memorial Hospital, Ms. Saiphin Meesa-ad [39], an employee of the residence, explained that Mr. Carter had been living alone in the room for approximately one year. Ms. Meesa-ad Further revealed that Mr. Carter was known to have been frequently visiting the doctor/hospital recently, although the circumstances surrounding these visits are unknown.

Mr. Carter’s death was discovered by Ms. Meesa-ad after a friend of the man had appeared to visit him having been unable to contact him for several days. Ms. Meesa-ad accessed the room using the master key, immediately informing authorities after discovering his death.

In a statement to the press, officers speculated that Mr. Carter might have committed suicide by drowning himself in the bathtub. However, his body has now been transported to the Forensic Science Institute for a post-mortem examination, while the Australian Embassy has been notified of the death.

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Extensive Gallery [ 6 photos ]