SURAT THANI, May 3 (TNA) – A French woman shot herself dead in Surat Thani, leaving her estate to her Thai housekeeper, who had worked with her for 17 years.
The incident occurred on April 29. Police from Koh Samui station investigated the shooting at a residence in Koh Samui district, Surat Thani province.
At the scene, a pool villa, the body of 59-year-old Catherine, a French national, was found with a gunshot wound to the left temple, with the bullet exiting on the right.
No other injuries were found on her body. A firearm was found next to the body. No signs of burglary or theft were found inside the residence.
CCTV footage from the house on April 28 at around 11 am showed the French woman sitting at a desk, using a laptop, before using a glass cleaning wiper to tilt the security camera down. It was captured as the last image before her body was discovered.
According to the investigation, the woman had been living in Koh Samui for more than ten years with her French husband, but they had no children. Later, they divorced and she suffered from cancer, which is believed to have led to her decision to commit suicide.
Nattawalai Phupongta, or Aunt Tim, the housekeeper from Sakon Nakhon province, revealed that she had worked for Catherine for over 17 years as Catherine invested in a resort and villa business.
On April 28, Nattawalai went to clean Catherine’s house as usual, with the employer wishing her a happy birthday before Aunt Tim left the villa. On April 29, someone came to inform that the employer had been shot.
Police found that before the woman decided to commit suicide, she had made a will in front of a lawyer, bequeathing all of their assets, valued at over 50 million baht (some media reported 100 million baht), to her maid.
Nattawalai found the message on Line from her employer sent before the incident.
She said Catherine had already transferred money for wages, internet fees, water, and electricity bills, as well as transferring 500,000 baht to her for funeral expenses. She promised to organize the funeral excellently and would never forget Catherine’s kindness. -819 (TNA)
