Body of elderly British-Australian man found on yacht off Thai island

A 69-year-old British man has been found dead on his yacht on the Thai island of Phuket, police have said.

The man – who also holds Australian nationality – had not been seen for several days prompting a friend to become concerned, according to local authorities.

Police said a body was then found “significantly decomposed” on Khao Khad beach on Sunday. The man is believed to have been dead for around two days.

The friend went to check on the “unusually quiet” vessel and found the man’s body. He alerted staff at a nearby hotel of the discovery at 12.30pm local time.

Lieutenant Watcharakorn Suwan of Wichit Police Station said: “Regarding the reported news, we were informed by a hotel employee.

“We are currently investigating, gathering evidence, and awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death. We have not ruled out the possibility of an unnatural death.

“Staff revealed the man was not a guest at the hotel.”

Forensic officers and medical examiners from Vachira Phuket Hospital conducted a preliminary examination and found no signs of a struggle or foul play. Authorities are conducting an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.

Both British and Australian embassies have been notified to assist with the repatriation of his remains, according to local media.

The Independent has contacted Witchit Police and the UK foreign office for comment.

The man is reported to have been living on the boat alone for over a decade and regularly travelled between Thailand and Malaysia.

Thailand reported its first annual decline in tourism outside of the pandemic in 2025.

The popular Southeast Asian country recorded 32.9 million arrivals between January and December – a 7.2 per cent decline on 2024 figures, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The drop is said to be caused by several factors including a fall in East Asian visitors following the Bangkok abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing in January 2025, the aftershocks of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Myanmar, a border conflict with Cambodia and severe flooding in the south last year.

The country appears to seek to rectify this with TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool saying that the tourism authority aims to welcome 36.7 million foreign tourists in 2026, with 70 per cent of international arrivals short-haul visitors, according to the Bangkok Post.