By Chutima Sidasathian and Alan Morison Friday, July 17,
2009
THE
SUDDEN unexplained death of a young woman tourist on
Phuket has left a grieving father asking questions about what killed his daughter.
Student nurse Sherifa Waleed Khalid, 24, was found dead in her room at the Thara Patong Beach Resort in Patong yesterday.
It was a tragic and unexpected end to a happy family holiday.
On Wednesday, the young Kuwaiti citizen went to Phi Phi on a day trip with her family, according to the Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, Police Colonel Grissak Songmoonnark.
Her father told police that his daughter
developed a bad cough after the Phi Phi trip, and she told family members that she felt sick.
The father took his daughter to Patong Hospital later that evening, Colonel Grissak told
Phuketwan today.
''A doctor at Patong Hospital prescribed medicine for the cough,'' Colonel Grissak said. ''The young woman took some medicine then retired for the night.''
On Thursday morning, Sherifa failed to appear. Her father assumed she was sleeping and shaking off the illness, Colonel Grissak said.
About 4pm, keen to check on her condition, her father attempted to wake his daughter by knocking on the door, but there was no response.
The father organised for hotel staff to open the room.
His daughter, the colonel said, was
lying on the bed with a blanket over her head. When the blanket was pulled back, it was plain that she was dead, Colonel Grissack said.
There was
discharge around the young woman's mouth, the colonel added.