An Australian tourist was found dead inside a condominium in Phuket, with police discovering a plate containing white powder near the body. The incident was reported at around 7.30pm on May 20, 2026, at a condominium in Karon subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket.

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Police from Karon Police Station, led by Pol Lt Col Ekasak Khwanwan, deputy investigation inspector, attended the scene after receiving a report of a death inside the property. Officers informed Pol Col Patapee Srichai, superintendent of Karon Police Station, before carrying out an inspection of the room.

The deceased was later identified by authorities as Christopher Kazantzidis, 27, an Australian national. His body was found lying on the floor inside the condominium room.

Condominium staff told investigators they had last seen the tourist at approximately 12.20am on May 19, 2026. Staff later became suspicious and contacted the condominium owner to open the room, where Mr Kazantzidis was discovered dead before police were alerted.

Initial checks at the scene found a plate containing white powder placed on a table close to the body. Police said there were no signs of a struggle or any physical assault.

Forensic officers were called to collect evidence from the room, while forensic doctors from Vachira Phuket Hospital will carry out a post-mortem examination. Authorities said the white powder would be sent for laboratory testing as part of the investigation.

Police have not confirmed the cause of death and said further examination and forensic analysis are required. Officers are also coordinating with the Australian embassy regarding the death and the next steps.

Amarin reported that the case remains under investigation, with authorities expected to await toxicology and forensic results before determining the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Amarin 21 May 2026

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Another reminder that “holiday mode” in Thailand can go south very quickly. Mystery white powder and a dead 27-year-old tourist is about as tragic and avoidable as it gets.

It takes quite a lot to kill a healthy 27-year-old....That white powder must have been very potent...

Could be powdered sugar from a jelly donut.

2 minutes ago, flaming dragon said:

Could be powdered sugar from a jelly donut.

Could be, but very unlikely.

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

It takes quite a lot to kill a healthy 27-year-old....That white powder must have been very potent...

Perhaps Poor genes, the guy possibly inherited the wrong parents.

9 minutes ago, flaming dragon said:

Could be powdered sugar from a jelly donut.

This is what we need, more members who think outside the box.

1 hour ago, Georgealbert said:

Initial checks at the scene found a plate containing white powder placed on a table close to the body.

Yep, white powder.

For every high there is a low.

Everybody got messed up.

3 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Perhaps Poor genes, the guy possibly inherited the wrong parents.

Is that also the reason for your 'educated' response?

1 hour ago, Nemises said:

Another reminder that “holiday mode” in Thailand can go south very quickly. Mystery white powder and a dead 27-year-old tourist is about as tragic and avoidable as it gets.

Not to worry. Reverting to 30-day visa-exempt entries will stop this sort of stuff.

12 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Not to worry. Reverting to 30-day visa-exempt entries will stop this sort of stuff.

Probably increase it, less time available to get everything done.

36 minutes ago, flaming dragon said:

Could be powdered sugar from a jelly donut.

Perhaps there was a Metabolic dysfunction after ingesting that jelly donut.

3 hours ago, Nemises said:

Another reminder that “holiday mode” in Thailand can go south very quickly. Mystery white powder and a dead 27-year-old tourist is about as tragic and avoidable as it gets.

Very avoidable, indeed, but tragic?... I don't think so. Self-imposed damage does not constitute a tragedy..

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Perhaps Poor genes, the guy possibly inherited the wrong parents.

Or, perhaps, he was just plain stupid but, I suppose, that stupidity could be an inherited trait also.

Edited May 21May 21 by Liverpool Lou

1 hour ago, LosLobo said:

Is that also the reason for your 'educated' response?

My genes are superior, but sadly I can see that you failed in the genes department.

Perhaps you are the product of poor parenting, sat behind your warrior keyboard, commenting with hostility.

Edited May 21May 21 by SAFETY FIRST

23 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Very avoidable, indeed, but tragic?... I don't think so. Self-imposed damage does not constitute a tragedy..

A 27-year-old dying in a foreign country while on holiday is tragic to most normal people, regardless of how it happened.

4 minutes ago, Nemises said:

27 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Very avoidable, indeed, but tragic?... I don't think so. Self-imposed damage does not constitute a tragedy..

A 27-year-old dying in a foreign country while on holiday is tragic to most normal people, regardless of how it happened

if it turns out that the cause of his death was illegal drug-taking then I do not think that most normal people, I.e. normal non-drug users, would find it tragic.

According to the 2022–2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), an estimated 10.2 million (47%) people aged 14 and over in Australia had illicitly used a drug at some point in their lifetime.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/illicit-drug-use

Those 47% of "not normal people". They're bad. "The 47%ers." A real evil minority living outside of society.

5 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

According to the 2022–2023 National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), an estimated 10.2 million (47%) people aged 14 and over in Australia had illicitly used a drug at some point in their lifetime.

https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/illicit-drug-use

Those 47% of "not normal people". They're bad. "The 47%ers." A real evil minority living outside of society.

Great stat's.

Australia leads the world in per capita cocaine consumption, with an estimated 4.5% of the population (about 1 million people) reporting recent use. Driven by high disposable incomes and a resilient black market, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission recorded a historic 69% surge in cocaine consumption.

Pricing: Australians pay some of the highest street prices in the world, with a gram typically costing between \(\$250\) to \(\$400\) AUD

12 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

if it turns out that the cause of his death was illegal drug-taking then I do not think that most normal people, I.e. normal non-drug users, would find it tragic.

If a 27-year-old dying overseas doesn’t qualify as tragic to you, that probably says more about you than him.

19 minutes ago, Nemises said:

A 27-year-old dying in a foreign country while on holiday is tragic to most normal people, regardless of how it happened.

Ok, so you see tragedy, as a self-inflicted madness. I think I and very many more will differ about that.

3 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Ok, so you see tragedy, as a self-inflicted madness. I think I and very many more will differ about that.

That’s not really how the word tragedy works. It describes the outcome — an early, preventable death — not a moral judgement on whether you approve of the person’s actions.

Posters could perhaps be quibbling over semantics,

I would describe this young man's death as sad, if he did indeed die of an overdose.

Somewhere there will be relatives grieving, no one should die at 27 even if it was caused by poor lifestyle choices.

Ask the relatives of Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse etc.

For me the word tragic encompasses a wider field, a tragedy, more people involved, the tragedy of the Middle East, for example, so much endless suffering.

Probably Heroin.

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Ok, so you see tragedy, as a self-inflicted madness. I think I and very many more will differ about that.

it could very well be tragic, possibly he didn't have the smarts to know better, possibly first-time use - we can't all be genius's, miss-lead, given a super strength dose, make a bad choice. Certainly, bad luck for him and probably a tragedy for his family and friends.

3 hours ago, Nemises said:

A 27-year-old dying in a foreign country while on holiday is tragic to most normal people, regardless of how it happened.

Rubbish! The more druggies that are removed from the gene pool, the better the human race will evolve. If someone wants to take illegal drugs that can be fatal, then that's their choice. Sensible humans don't dabble in white powder.....

Edited May 21May 21 by simon43

3 hours ago, Nemises said:

A 27-year-old dying in a foreign country while on holiday is tragic to most normal people, regardless of how it happened.

Well over a hundred billion people have died since the beginning of the human race, billions more will die such a tragic condition isn’t it, or maybe it’s just the way things are and it’s up to the individual to accept it or not.

17 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Rubbish! The more druggies that are removed from the gene pool, the better the human race will evolve. If someone wants to take illegal drugs that can be fatal, then that's their choice. Sensible humans don't dabble in white powder.....

You can condemn drugs without cheering a young person’s death. Most normal people understand that distinction.

19 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Rubbish! The more druggies that are removed from the gene pool, the better the human race will evolve. If someone wants to take illegal drugs that can be fatal, then that's their choice. Sensible humans don't dabble in white powder.....

It's the dealers / suppliers that need removing from the gene pool, but unfortunately they seem to survive.

2 hours ago, Artisi said:

it could very well be tragic, possibly he didn't have the smarts to know better, possibly first-time use - we can't all be genius's, miss-lead, given a super strength dose, make a bad choice. Certainly, bad luck for him and probably a tragedy for his family and friends.

Don´t need to post anything. Just using something already written below.

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Rubbish! The more druggies that are removed from the gene pool, the better the human race will evolve.