Housekeeper Inherits $2.7 Million Villa After Owner Commits Suicide

Following her death in Koh Samui on Monday, a French businesswoman reportedly left her housekeeper with about 100 million baht (US$2,7 Million in assets. The Frenchwoman was found dead Monday from an apparent suicide.

French National Ms Catherine Delacote, 59, the owner of five pool villas on the resort island of Phuket, reportedly gave her housekeeper Ms Nutwalai Phupongta, 49, her 17-year-old housemaid, 100 million baht in assets.

Ms Nutwalai the housekeeper stated that the assets included the villa she was residing in at the time Delacote died, a two-rai land parcel near the villa, cash, a car, and other items. Ms Delacote and her ex-husband, who is also French, moved to the island 12 years ago, according to Ms Nutwalai. The couple eventually split, and the dead lived alone in the villa.

She died on Monday as a result of a firearm, according to Pol Maj Yannaphat Malai, the local station inspector.

Her body was discovered on a daybed near to the swimming pool at her villa, with a gunshot wound to her left temple and gunshot residue on her left wrist, he said. He said he discovered a 45mm automatic handgun, a bullet shell, a glass of vodka, a pair of sunglasses, and a pack of cigarettes beside the body.

Pol Maj Yannaphat reported that a spent bullet was discovered inside the residence, as well as a gunshot hole in a villa door.

Housekeeper Given Funeral Money

At 8 a.m., a pool maintenance worker discovered Delacote’s unconscious body and a pool of blood, he claimed. The worker immediately phoned his supervisor to tell the police.

A medical team from a neighboring hospital was summoned, and her body was later relocated to the floor in an effort at resuscitation before the police came, he stated. Further inquiry revealed that Ms Delacote had earlier transferred 500,000 baht to Ms Nutwalai to cover her burial expenses, he claimed.

Ms Nutwalai, who lived in another residence, felt her boss committed suicide, claiming that Delacote sent messages to various individuals shortly before her death stating that she would hand over her possessions to her maid.

The dead apparently told Ms Nutwalai that she had cancer. However, she did not express a desire to commit suicide, according to the maid.

According to Ms Nutwalai, Delacote obtained the gun at the scene after committing a break-in robbery at the property earlier.

Ms Nutwalai told reporters that Delacote’s funeral will take place at Wat Bo Pud in Samui district at a later date.

French Diver Stranded on Island

In other news, our French divers were rescued on Thursday after becoming stuck on an island outside Sattahip, Chon Buri, overnight after their boat broke free from its mooring and floated away.

On Wednesday at 8 a.m., the men boarded a rented boat bound for Koh Manwichai from Jomtien beach. The boat was seen floating in the sea off Koh Sichang on Thursday, with no one on board.

A Facebook user named Tai Ek shared a photo of a boat with the following message: “Friends, please help spread.

The boat departed Na Jomtien Beach at 7-8 a.m. on May 1 and has yet to return to shore. Four people that went with the boat were unable to be located. Anyone anyone discovers these, please contact me.

The empty boat was later discovered adrift in the sea around 11 nautical miles off Koh Sichang in the Sri Racha region of Chon Buri. This prompted tourist police and rescue teams to quickly begin their search.

Rescuers later discovered the four men on Manwichai island, roughly 15 nautical miles offshore from Tambon Bang Saray in Sattahip district. They were driven to the beach at Bang Saray around lunchtime. There were no injuries.

The police identified the divers as, Andrien, 38, Medhi, 47, Vincent, 30, and Stefan, 32, were all French nationals. Pattaya tourist police chatted with the four tourists to determine what had happened.

Mr Andrien informed police that he and his buddies went to Koh Manwichai to dive on Wednesday and anchored their boat there. When they came up from the sea, their boat had broken loose and sailed away.

They all had to spend the night on the island before seeing a rescue boat on Thursday morning. They called for aid and were eventually carried to shore.