A British boxer has been found dead in a hotel room in Thailand next to his Australian friend, who is reportedly in a coma fighting for his life.
The 21-year-old was found lying in a room on the fourth floor of the Vogue Hotel in the coastal city of Pattaya, eastern Thailand, early on Wednesday morning.
Friends paid tribute to him today, with one writing online: ‘Rest in peace. It’s shocking news and so sad. You will be missed by many people.’
His friend and fellow boxer, Jayson Tonkin, 27, from Manly in Sydney, is in a coma in intensive care after being found next to the dead body.
Jayson, also a Muay Thai boxer, reportedly faces drug charges if he regains consciousness.
Police and hotel staff in the room where they found the dead British national and his friend
Australian boxer Jayson Tonkin (above) remains unconscious in the intensive care unit of a Thai hospital after being found in a hotel room next to the body of his deceased friend, reportedly a British 21-year-old
The man had reportedly consumed a potent cocktail of marijuana and illegal ketamine.
Police seized the cannabis, ketamine and drug paraphernalia in the room as evidence. They said there were no signs of abuse or a struggle.
Today, Police Lieutenant Thanawi Yarangsi said police had previously released incorrect information about the identity of the deceased, incorrectly saying it was Tonkin who had died.
A police spokesman added: ‘We have taken photographs of the scene and collected all evidence. We believe he may have died of a drug overdose based on what we found in the room. We will question his friend further when he is conscious.”
Muay Thai contacts told Daily Mail Australia it was not clear “when or if” Tonkin would regain consciousness in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Hotel staff said they heard a commotion in the fourth-floor room and found the two men when they went inside to check.
Police seized the cannabis, ketamine and drug paraphernalia in the room as evidence. They said there were no signs of abuse or a struggle.
Tonkin, a middleweight Muay Thai fighter, opened up about his struggles with drugs – and methamphetamine in particular – in a mental health podcast created earlier this year
Under Thai law, transporting Category I drugs, including LSD and ecstasy, for the purpose of ‘disposal or possession for the purpose of disposal’ carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.
The harshest penalties are reserved for those who ‘produce or import’ the substances, while simply possessing the drugs can land offenders in prison for up to ten years.
Trafficking in minor Category 2 drugs, including cocaine and ketamine, carries a life sentence, while possession alone carries a penalty of five years.
Tonkin, a middleweight Muay Thai fighter, opened up about his struggles with drugs — and methamphetamine in particular — in a mental health podcast created earlier this year.
He flew to Thailand last month for a fight against WBC Muay Thai number one world middleweight champion Tengnueng Sitjaesairoong.
The Australian said he was looking forward to winning by knockout in the October 20 fight but it was canceled due to heavy rain.
The British Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.