At 11:00 a.m. on May 18, Police Sub-Lieutenant Akkarapong Saenputawong, Deputy Inspector of Pattaya City Police Station in Chonburi Province, received a report of a body washed ashore on Pattaya Beach, opposite Soi 13 on Beach Road, Village No. 10, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi. He reported to his superiors before heading to the scene with an investigation team and rescue personnel from Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation.
At the scene, they found the body of an unidentified man, estimated to be 30–40 years old, lying face down on the beach. He was wearing a black crew-neck T-shirt (featuring what appeared to be Chinese and English characters) and denim shorts. A mobile phone was found on his person and collected as evidence.
Preliminary inspection revealed abrasions on his eyelid and right cheekbone, with blood seeping from his nose and mouth and foam at his lips. He was estimated to have been dead for no less than three hours.
According to the Pattaya City Marine Disaster Prevention Department, a speedboat operator reported spotting the body floating offshore earlier in the morning. Waves eventually washed the body ashore, prompting authorities to cordon off the area for investigation.
Initially, Police Sub-Lieutenant Akkarapong ordered the body to be sent to Pattaya-Patmakhun Hospital for a thorough autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Drowning is suspected, but other possibilities have not been ruled out. Authorities are expediting efforts to identify the deceased and determine the precise cause of death.