Japanese woman tourist stabbed to death at Thai ruins

A Japanese tourist was stabbed to death during a visit to northern Thailand to take part in a traditional water festival, police said Monday November 26. The body of Tomoko Kawashita, 27, from Osaka was discovered over the weekend near the ruins of the kingdom’s ancient capital Sukhothai, 425 kilometres (265 miles) north of Bangkok, police said.

She had been robbed, and her body was found lying next to the bicycle she had rented to do her sightseeing, police said.

“She was stabbed to death when the attacker tried to rob her. She resisted and ran away, but then he caught her and slashed her throat with a knife,” said police Lieutenant Colonel Amornsak Khemasiri.

Sukhothai was the capital of a kingdom that is considered a predecessor to modern Thailand.

The ruins of the 14th century temples are a major tourist attraction, especially during the annual Loy Krathong festival held last weekend, when Thais place floating candles in rivers and ponds to pray to a water goddess.

 

Category: Thailand