Missing British tourist, 37, found dead in Thai storm drain
Fraser Wright went drinking alone on the party island of Phuket
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British tourist who vanished from his family holiday on a party hotspot in Thailand has been found dead in a storm drain.
Fraser Wright, 37, from Swindon was pulled from the open sewer on Wednesday morning, hours after reportedly going out to drink alone on the island of Phuket.
His family sparked a missing person’s search when he didn’t return to the Seaview Hotel after leaving at 10pm on Tuesday.
His body wasn’t discovered until 9.30am the next morning when emergency services were called to the scene outside Tawan Bike Shop in Patong.
Local media reports suggest that Mr Wright was caught on CCTV peering into the drain, which carries rainwater from storms into the sea, before climbing over the one-metre-high barrier and falling in.
He is believed to have been dead for five or six hours before he was found.
According to local news outlet Khasod, an autopsy carried out at Vachira Phuket Hospital didn’t identify any further wounds and there is no suggestion of any foul play.
The UK 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 Wright is the latest in a string of tragic cases involving Britons dying in Thailand.
In April, Ryan Ralph, 24, fell from an overnight train as he backpacked through the country with his girlfriend, Shona Morgan, 22.
The tragedy happened when Mr Ralph went to have a cigarette, leaving Ms Morgan asleep.
It’s believed that as he stood between carriages, he lost his footing and fell onto the tracks. A major hunt for him was carried out before his body was found.
More than 28 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year, spending 1.2 trillion baht ($33.71 billion) in the country, where other key sectors of the economy have been slow in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments