A pensioner from Northern Ireland has been arrested following the discovery of a Thai escort's body in his hotel room, with police stating she had been dead for at least three days.
Bearach Beataidh, 71, from Co Down, was last seen on CCTV footage affectionately kissing Duangta Khampongsom, 45, and holding her hand as they entered his bedroom at a Pattaya guest house on December 18.
Tragically, Ms Khampongsom never left the room alive but Beataidh was recorded by security cameras exiting the room on December 22, law enforcement officials have stated.
The building's manager, Prayoon Chinsai, 57, alerted authorities after detecting a foul odour emanating from the room that morning. After knocking to no response, he used a master key to enter, only to be met with the horrific scene of the woman's decomposing body, partially clothed, on the bed, according to reports.
Police were quick to respond to the scene and subsequently located the Co Down pensioner at a bar nearby nursing a drink.
According to The Daily Star, Police Captain Puttharak Sonkhamhan from the Pattaya City Police station confirmed: "The woman had been dead for at least three days. Her body had started to decay and bloat, emitting a foul odour throughout the room. She was clad only in denim shorts and nothing on her upper body. A search of the room found no evidence of a struggle or ransacking.
"It would be difficult not to notice she was dead as her body was already decomposing. There was also fluid and blood on the bed."
Newly-obtained CCTV footage shows Duangta, wearing a black shirt and white cap, walking with the tourist through the hotel corridor on the night of December 18. Bearach was then seen leaving the room alone on December 22.
According to the police, he claimed: "She kept vomiting and sleeping the whole time, but I did not think it was anything abnormal. I understood that she felt weak and exhausted. We last spoke on December 19."
Bearach allegedly denied any wrongdoing, stating he was unaware of her death "because there was no unusual smell" in their room.
A spokesperson for the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to the Irish Mirror: "The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of reports and stands ready to provide consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases."
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