Phuket woman found drowned in sunk car

[webfact]

Phuket woman found drowned in sunk car
Eakkapop Thongtub


Wattana Itthisan’s car is recovered from the lake behind Wat Chalong.

PHUKET: -- A businesswoman who was reported missing late on Saturday night was found dead in her car in a lake just to the north of Wat Chalong yesterday afternoon (July 8).

Wattana Itthisan, 27, was supposed to meet her husband Pinit at 9pm on Saturday. When she did not turn up by midnight, despite a search, he called police.

Relatives and staff of the Itthisan’s company continued to search in places they thought she was likely to have gone and eventually, around 1pm yesterday, found tyre marks leading across the grass between the road and the lagoon at the back of the temple.

In the water they saw what they thought might be Mrs Wattana’s blue Honda Jazz. They called police who, with the help of a crane, lifted the car out of the water.

Mrs Wattana was still inside, but in the back seat, apparently having drowned.

Also found in the car were personal items belonging to her, including her wallet, mobile phone and jewellery.

Police are treating her death as suspicious and are investigating further.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-woman-found-drowned-in-sunk-car-40731.php


-- Phuket News 2013-07-09

[LuukKoeyKorat]

What the hell is going on in Phuket?! is this normal life or are the media picking on the island?

[theblether]

In the off chance this was a genuine accident.............

[webfact]

Relatives cry murder, Phuket police disagree
Phuket Gazette

PHUKET: -- Relatives of a woman found dead in her car in an old tin mining pond on Monday believe she was murdered, but police do not agree.

Wattana Itthisan, the 27-year-old owner of Fasai Minimart in Chalong, was found in her submerged car in an old tin mining pond behind Chalong Temple on Monday morning.

“The driver’s window was open and the gear had been shifted into the park position. Mrs Wattana’s body was found in the back seat,” Chalong Police Capt Thada Sodarak said.

“The family believes these elements indicate foul play, but we do not agree,” he said.

“We believe that the impact from the crash into the water threw Mrs Wattana to the back seat, after which she lost consciousness and died,” he said. “We also believe that she put the car in park as the vehicle crashed into the pond,” Capt Thada said.

None of Mrs Wattana’s jewelry – a gold necklace and two gold rings – was missing and she still had her cell phone with her, Capt Thada said.

Mrs Wattana had gone to the Rong-Tium Pub near Chalong Circle with two friends Saturday night at about 9pm.

A witness told the police that when she left the pub, she was drunk, said Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapas Det-intarasorn.

She dropped her friends off at their house about 200 meters from the pond at about 5am. CCTV in the area recorded her car driving in the direction of the pond at 5:15am. Her friends received a missed call from Mrs Wattana at 5:27am.

When she didn’t return home, her husband, Pinit Itthisan, 39, started calling relatives. Together they spent Sunday looking for her, said Capt Thada.

They couldn’t find her, but they noticed tyre tracks leading into the pond and became suspicious that they were from Mrs Wattana’s car.

After midnight on Monday morning, Mr Pinit reported his wife missing and told police about the tyre tracks.

Kusoldharm Foundation rescue divers searched the mine until about 3:30am but were unable to locate the car. They returned the next morning with marine police and after about an hour of searching found Mrs Wattana’s blue Honda Jazz about 100 meters from the shore at a depth of about 10 meters, said Capt Thada.

“The car was found flipped over in the pond. The windshield was broken and the front of the car was full of mud,” he said.

The car was pulled to shore by a crane and Mrs Wattana’s body was retrieved.

“Cause of death will be determined at Vachira Phuket Hospital,” Capt Thada said. “We are working on questioning more people and collecting more evidence.”

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Relatives-cry-murder-Phuket-police-disagree-21587.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-07-09

[blabla1]

Hmmm, first thing i would do after hitting the water, being knocked unconscious and thrown to the back seat, is put the car into park.. RIP dear lady.

[mrtoad]

something smells fishy

[clockman]

What a field day, C.S.I. would have in Thailand! nothing ever changes!

[mrtoad]

What a field day, C.S.I. would have in Thailand! nothing ever changes!

C.S.I; Captain Somchai Investigates?

[davejones]

Seems like a clear cut case of death by drink driving to me.

[bander]

“We believe that the impact from the crash into the water threw Mrs Wattana to the back seat, after which she lost consciousness and died,” he said. “We also believe that she put the car in park as the vehicle crashed into the pond,” Capt Thada said.

Wow, clever police work, give the captain a medal.

[LivinginKata]

“We believe that the impact from the crash into the water threw Mrs Wattana to the back seat, after which she lost consciousness and died,” he said. “We also believe that she put the car in park as the vehicle crashed into the pond,” Capt Thada said.

Wow, clever police work, give the captain a medal.

I doubt she had the time or reaction to put the car in park. But it would be feasible that when she was thrown into the back she hit the shift and moved it forward into park. As it happens a vehicle had a similar accident (but no water) outside my home a few years ago and I was first on the scene. The large man had been thrown into the back seat and broke his neck (not a pretty sight) so I can easily see that the shift could be moved in the movement of the driver.

[Farangdam]

a true friend who let somebody drunk and drive.... could call the husband to assist as required. girl + alcohol= disasters

[lee b]

RIP to you poor girl

Edited July 9, 2013 by lee b

[Jane Doe]

Poor girl, rest in peace.
If this would have happened in Pattaya and she would have had her hands cuffed the police would surely say it was suicide...

[NamKangMan]

"She dropped her friends off at their house about 200 meters from the pond at about 5am. CCTV in the area recorded her car driving in the direction of the pond at 5:15am. Her friends received a missed call from Mrs Wattana at 5:27am." - 12 minutes to drive 200 meters????

Possibly the "missed call" was to have her friends run up the road because she was being attacked.

RIP

[belg]

she was in the back seat?

tried to escape to the back window or did she have her seatbelt on, on the back seat...

hard to drive from the backseat

[eezergood]

Something not right here!

[drdoom6996]

Send her to the Hospital Hub, they will sort her out, oh dead, maybe they can sort her out. They'll tell you they can.

[slipperx]

How did the car end up 100 metres from the shore into the lake? Seems to be a very long way in.

[pacovl46]

I seriously doubt that she put the gear in park when she crashed!!!

[nahkit]

I seriously doubt that she put the gear in park when she crashed!!!

Yes, I agree with you, highly unlikely.

If she hit the water at speed (the report says the windscreen was smashed) and the car flipped over, I would imagine that she would be panicked and disorientated, in the dark and under water so its not beyond belief that she could have kicked the gear lever into park whilst trying to crawl out.

Obviously, I have no way of knowing if that did happen but its a possibility.

[SinglePot]

100 metres from the shore?

Must mean 10 metres surely.

Honda Jazz not Bluebird.