A British boxer was found dead in a hotel room in Thailand alongside his Australian friend, who is reportedly fighting for his life in a coma.
The 21-year-old was found face up in a fourth-floor room at the Vogue Hotel in the coastal town of Pattaya, eastern Thailand, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
His friends paid tribute to him today, with one writing online: ‘Rest in peace. It is shocking and very sad news. Many people will miss you.’
His friend and fellow boxer, Jayson Tonkin, 27, from Manly in Sydney, is in a coma in intensive care after being found next to the body.
Jayson, also a Muay Thai boxer, reportedly faces drug charges if he regains consciousness.
Police and hotel staff inside the room where they found the dead British citizen and his friend
Australian boxer Jayson Tonkin (above) is unconscious in the ICU of a Thai hospital after being found in a hotel room next to the body of his dead friend, reportedly a 21-year-old Briton.
The man had reportedly consumed a potent cocktail of marijuana and illegal ketamine.
Police confiscated cannabis, ketamine and drug paraphernalia in the room as evidence. They said there were no signs of aggression or struggle.
Speaking today, police lieutenant Thanawi Yarangsi said police had previously released incorrect information about the identity of the deceased, wrongly saying it was Tonkin who had died.
A police spokesperson added: “We have taken photographs of the scene and collected all the evidence. We believe he may have died from a drug overdose based on what we found in the room. “We will question his friend further when he is conscious.
Muay Thai contacts told Daily Mail Australia it was unclear “when or if” Tonkin would regain consciousness in the hospital’s ICU.
Hotel staff said they heard a commotion in the fourth-floor room and found the two men when they went in to check it out.
Police confiscated cannabis, ketamine and drug paraphernalia in the room as evidence. They said there were no signs of aggression or struggle.
Tonkin, a middleweight Muay Thai fighter, spoke about his struggle with drugs, and particularly methamphetamine, in a mental health podcast earlier this year.
Under Thai law, possession of Schedule I drugs, including LSD and ecstasy, for “disposal or possession for the purpose of disposal” carries a maximum penalty of the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The harshest punishments are reserved for those who “produce or import” the substances, while simple possession of the drugs can land offenders in prison terms of up to 10 years.
Trafficking in minor Schedule 2 drugs, which include cocaine and ketamine, can carry a life sentence, while possession alone carries a five-year sentence.
Tonkin, a middleweight Muay Thai fighter, spoke about his struggle with drugs, and particularly methamphetamine, in a mental health podcast earlier this year.
He flew to Thailand last month for a fight against WBC Muay Thai world number one middleweight champion Tengnueng Sitjaesairong.
The Australian said he had hoped to win by knockout in the Oct. 20 fight, but it was canceled due to heavy rain.
The British Foreign Office has been contacted for comment.