Aussie boxer Jayson Tonkin in hospital, mate found dead
An Australian Muay Thai boxer has reportedly been found in a hotel room in Pattaya with his mate dead on the floor.
An Australian boxer is reportedly in a coma with another boxer allegedly found dead in a hotel room in Thailand
According to local media, a 21-year-old British man was found unconscious with drug paraphernalia in the hotel in Pattaya, a coastal city south east of Bangkok, on Wednesday.
An Australian man with him was said to be “in a state of severe intoxication” and panicking about why his friend was “lying still,” local media said.
It’s been reported that the Australian is 27-year-old Muay Thai star Jayson Tonkin, also known as “The Dingo”.
Tonkin is from Manly, on Sydney’s northern beaches. He moved to Thailand as a teenager.
There has been some confusion in Thai media as to which of the two men perished with local newspaper The Bangkok Post stating it was the Australian.
However, The Daily Mail has said it has confirmed it was the British man who died. He has not been identified.
According to The Bangkok Post, staff were alerted to a situation by a loud noise coming from the room on the fourth floor of the Vogue Hotel.
“On arriving at the fourth floor they found the dead man’s friend in a state of panic, loudly demanding to know what happened, and the victim unconscious on the floor”.
It’s been reported police found a deceased man lying on his back shirtless wearing only black shorts just after midnight on Wednesday morning.
Ketamine and cannabis were found in the room, the media outlet stated.
Tonkin was then taken to hospital and is now unconscious. The Daily Mail has said he is in a coma.
According to UK publication The Sun, police said they believed the man died from a drug overdose.
“We will question his friend further when he is conscious,” local police said in a statement.
Under Thai law, a conviction for the possession of ketamine can lead to prison sentence of one to five years and a fine of up to $4500.
Tonkin is not believed to have been charged with any crime.