Thai police arrest suspect in killing of Swiss woman

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police said Saturday they arrested a suspect in the death of a Swiss woman on the tourist island of Phuket.

Thailand’s national police chief, Pol. Gen. Suwat Jangyodsuk, confirmed to reporters that a suspect was arrested but offered no other details.

According to an ID published by Thai media, the man is 27, and a Thai resident of Phuket.

The body of the 57-year-old Swiss woman, Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, was found Thursday at a secluded spot on the island. Thai media reported that the her partially clothed body was lying face down in a rock crevice near a waterfall and appeared to have been concealed by a sheet.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered a quick investigation. Swiss media reported that Sauvain-Weisskopf was a member of the country’s diplomatic service.

The incident casts a pall over Thailand’s so-called Phuket Sandbox program to try and bring fully vaccinated foreign tourists to the popular destination, which has been struggling massively during the coronavirus pandemic.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up