British tourist found dead in storm drain on Thai island

The 37-year-old man, believed to be from Wiltshire, reportedly went drinking alone on Phuket

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A British tourist has been found dead in a storm drain in Thailand after going missing on a family holiday.
The 37-year-old man, who is believed to be from Wiltshire, was last seen by his relatives at about 10pm on Tuesday.
He reportedly went out drinking alone on the island of Phuket and was found face down in shallow water at around 9am the next morning.
Police and paramedics arrived at the scene but the man was pronounced dead.
Locals had noticed a body floating in the shallow body of water by the side of the road which is used to funnel rainwater into the sea.
The victim had been dead for five or six hours when he was found, said Police Captain Phongsathorn Phothong, from the Patong district police station.
Officers discovered the body inside the drainage ditch, which is surrounded by a metal guard rail.
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Mr Phongsathorn said: “We have sent the tourist’s body to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a thorough autopsy to determine the cause of death before handing it over to his family for religious ceremonies.
“We have checked the security camera and found no one assaulted him.
“He walked into the drainage ditch by himself at around 4am and did not tell his family.
“I received a report from a resident about the body discovery before informing his family.”
He said further investigations were required to determine the cause of death and added it was not yet known when the autopsy will be completed.
Local media reported that CCTV had captured the man climbing over the metal barrier surrounding the drain.