Police seized 5 bottles of beer for examination as well as CCTV equipment from the luxury hotel to be reviewed by experts after being told it was not working. They are also reviewing CCTV images of the couple and their son from the party’s arrival on the Lomprayah Ferry from Chumphon province on Friday.
The deaths of a Thai Indian billionaire tycoon and his wife on Ko Tao island is being reappraised by the police after top brass in Bangkok ordered the elite Crime Suppression Division (CSD) to get involved and conclude with certainty how the middle-aged couple died after they arrived for a holiday from the mainland with their adult son last Friday.
Deputy National Police Commissioner Police Major General Jiraphop Phuridech has ordered the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) to get involved in the investigation into the deaths of a Thai Indian industrialist and his wife on Ko Tao island in Surat Thani province last Friday, June 4th.
Police officers, over the weekend, were reportedly working on the theory that one of the couple may have gotten into difficulty in the pool and the other also when they came to provide assistance.
The depth of the pool at the deep end is reported to be 2.2 metres with the facility reportedly often used for dive training.
Bodies found in the pool by the couple’s 34-year-old son Ratish after he returned from a beach walk
59-year-old Rakeshwar Sachathamakul and his 55-year-old wife Anchoo were found drowned in the pool of the luxury resort, the Jamahkiri Resort & Spa by their 34-year-old son Ratish Sachathamakul after he returned from a walk on a nearby beach not long after the party checked into their accommodation on Friday afternoon last.
Police have now revealed that the couple had changed their booking on the holiday island which they had booked using a hotel booking application because they were dissatisfied with the standard of accommodation when they arrived there.
Travelled to Ko Tao from Chumphon by ferry
The party had travelled to Koh Tao using the well known Lomprayah Ferry from the central area of Chumphon province.
Police are understood to be now reviewing CCTV footage of the couple’s movements from that point on the island.
They indicated there is extensive material which they are examining and that they are looking to establish if there was any incident involving the holidaying family and third parties.
Ko Tao has a contentious reputation
The island of Ko Tao has a contentious reputation, heightened by international tabloid reporting, since September 2014 when two young British backpackers David Miller and Hannah Witheridge, in their early twenties, were murdered there followed by several other incidents.
This has led to increased sensitivity among officials whenever there is a tragedy or accident.
It is understood the CSD division has been ordered to work with local police on the island led by Police Colonel Kriangkrai Kraikaew to get to the bottom of what happened to the wealthy businessman and his wife.
Tycoon was a wealthy industrialist, hotel and property owner in the kingdom worth over ฿1 billion
Mr Rakesh, according to reports, had a net worth in excess of ฿1 billion including ownership of the firm Wireform A.N. (Thailand) Co. which operates two industrial plants in Rayong and Prachin Buri linked with the auto industry.
He also owned the 5 star Novotel Phuket Hotel on Kamala Beach as well as property in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok.
Autopsies on the couple’s remains to be performed in Bangkok at the Institute of Forensic Medicine
Full autopsies on the businessman and his wife have been ordered to be carried out at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Police General Hospital in Bangkok.
A full result and report on the post mortems will take one to two weeks.
In the meantime, police have also revealed that five bottles of beer were seized from the hotel, three from within the room used by the couple and two by the poolside.
These are to be examined forensically and for any dangerous substance.
CCTV equipment seized from the hotel
Police have also announced that they have seized the CCTV system from the hotel despite reports that cameras covering the poolside area were not working due to maintenance and the fact that the hotel had just reopened for business.
Investigators are asking experts to review the equipment.
No indication yet of foul play or for police to change their original theory of tragic mishap
As of yet, there is no indication of foul play in the case and no reason for investigating police to deviate from their original theory.
This is also reported to be the position of relatives of the couple as they were aware the husband and wife had health issues. This includes their son, Mr Ratish, a businessman and entrepreneur in Bangkok.
Mr Rakesh Sachathamakul, in particular, had underlying conditions including diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea.
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Further reading:
Tragic deaths of Thai Indian tycoon and his wife after checking into luxurious Ko Tao island resort
Remains of Ukrainian ambassador to Thailand who died on Ko Lipe on Sunday sent to Bangkok
Dutch national identified from CCTV using police biometric system after Ko Tao theft and arrested
Koh Tao claims by UK teenager questioned by Thai police – arrest warrants indicated for some media
Myanmar men who murdered two UK backpackers on Ko Tao have their death sentences commuted to life
Mobile phone of Ukrainian woman key to the puzzle as police decide between murder or suicide
