Police investigate mystery death of Hungarian tourist in cell at Thai airport
Police investigate mystery death of Hungarian tourist in cell at Thai airport

A Hungarian tourist was found dead after being held in a cell at a Thai airport for overstaying his visa.

Laszlo Balogh, 60, was arrested by the police when he checked into Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport last Friday (January 25) afternoon.

He was remanded in custody at the airport police station while immigration police processed the paperwork to send him back to Hungary.

Police said that Laszlo wasfine when they locked him in the cell but when the officer checked on him on the following morning he was dead.

Paramedics took the body to the hospital for the post-mortem examination.

Police said that an initial examination at the scene showed no injuries on his body.

However, the pensioner did have diabetes which may have contributed to his death, they said.

Police Colonel Natthapon Komintarachat said while waiting for the examination results they will question the officers that were on duty that night.

He said: "Initially, we contacted the Hungarian embassy and the body was already sent to the hospital to check the caused of his death.

"In the meantime we will interrogate our officers who were on duty that night to check if there were any officers who neglected their duty and let the prisoner die.

If they were negligent they will be punished." Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said they suspected the man might have died of an age-related disease.