Latest news with #MichaelShaneCaola
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Chilling similarities in bloody deaths of Aussie and Swedish tourists in the same Thai 'Sin City' apartment building just hours apart
An Australian and Swedish man who died in the same apartment complex in Thailand were both found in pools of blood next to overflowing bathtubs. Perth roof painter Michael Shane Caola, 54, was found dead on July 17 on the seventh floor of the Grand Shivalay apartment in Pattaya, a beachside city famous for its sex-for-sale wild nightlife. Pattaya City Police investigator Saijai Khamjulla said he received reports of the dead Australian about 4pm local time on Thursday. Upon entering the room, officers found a broken glass and scattered pill bottles, but there were no signs of struggle. Two hours earlier, Swedish national Mika Huotari, 38, was found dead in eerily similar circumstances after he was discovered naked near an overflowing bathtub with severe head wounds in his fifth-floor unit. Police are probing CCTV footage which depicted a short-haired woman dressed in black entering the unit the night before his body was discovered. Authorities currently do not believe the deaths are linked to each other. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Mr Caola had been alone while his Thai-born wife of almost 10 years Phatsaya Caola celebrated her birthday without him two days earlier. Phatsaya celebrated with a Facebook birthday post, but just days later paid tribute to Mr Caola by posting 'R.I.P Michael Shane' with sad face emojis. The pair had regularly posted images of themselves at various resorts and exotic locations around Thailand, but their last social media post together was in January. Apartment manager Thanchanok Prajit said she discovered Mr Caola after receiving a call from his relatives claiming they had been unable to contact him for two days. Ms Prajit said the door had been locked from the inside and a foul odour was emanating from within, and she unlocked the door and contacting police. 'He was a regular customer, often seen exercising, probably to take care of his health,' she said. Mr Caola, who also earned money buying and selling used utes, married Phatsaya in December 2015, but it's understood the couple broke up after sometime after January. The couple had been frequent travellers between Perth and Thailand. Mr Huotari was found dead just two hours before Mr Caola's body was located. Ms Thanchanok told local investigators Mr Huotari had lived alone since May and was due to move out the day after he was found dead. Investigators are yet to identify the woman they allege remained inside Mr Huotari's apartment for about 20 minutes. It's alleged the woman was seen leaving the apartment carrying a bag and police consider her a person of interest. It's been reported Ms Thanchanok claimed Mr Huotari frequently brought different women to his apartment during his stay. Police have not confirmed whether Mr Huotari's death is being treated as a murder, but investigators have yet to rule out 'foul play'. Investigators probing Mr Caola's death identified no signs of struggle. Pattaya City Police Station Lieutenant Colonel Saijai Khamjulla said the cause of Mr Caola's death was still unknown and they were waiting for results of an autopsy. 'The case is currently under investigation and further details cannot be disclosed at this time,' he said. He acknowledged the coincidence of the two deaths, but said there was 'no established link' between them. 'Since they occurred in the same building within a short timeframe, we're not ruling out any possibilities and will continue to investigate,' he said. Mr Caola's social media is littered with photos taken across Thailand, stretching back a decade, including at markets and eateries in Pattaya. The mysterious deaths are the latest to blight the city on Thailand's eastern Gulf coast notoriously known as 'Sin City'. Despite recent efforts to remediate the city's image, local crime continues to make international headlines. Earlier this week, wheelchair-bound British tourist Chris John Glennon, 60, was robbed by a trio of sex workers at a local resort. Mr Glennon, from Northampton in England's East Midlands region, reportedly engaged the sex workers before bringing them back to his hotel room. There, he claimed, they stole his money and took off while he was showering. Investigations into the alleged robbery are ongoing.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Sky News AU
Mystery surrounds death of Australian tourist Michael Caola in Thailand's Pattaya as police launch investigation
Thai police have launched an investigation after a 54-year-old Australian man was found dead inside his apartment in the coastal city of Pattaya. Michael Shane Caola, from Perth, was discovered on Thursday at the Grand Shivalay complex, a high-rise building located in the heart of the city, which has long been associated with its hedonistic nightlife and influx of foreign tourists. Concerned relatives in Australia contacted the apartment's front desk after failing to reach Mr Caola for two days. The building's manager, Thanchanok Prajit, raised the alarm with local authorities after being unable to access his room. 'His family in Australia called the reception, saying they had been unable to contact him,' she said. 'He was a regular customer often seen exercising, probably to take care of his health.' Responding officers found no immediate signs of foul play at the scene, but the circumstances surrounding Mr Caola's death remain unclear. Police Lieutenant Colonel Saijai Kamjulla of Pattaya City Police confirmed that inquiries are ongoing 'The cause of the Australian man's death is still unknown and the results of the autopsy are pending," he said. 'The case is currently under investigation, and further details cannot be disclosed at this time.' In a separate and seemingly unrelated incident, Swedish national Mika Huotari, 38, was found dead in a bathtub in another apartment just two floors below Mr Caola's. Authorities say the two cases are not connected. Local media outlets report that Mr Huotari had a head injury and CCTV footage captured a woman leaving his room shortly before his body was discovered. Both incidents have raised fresh concerns about the safety of foreign visitors in Pattaya, which continues to draw large numbers of tourists despite its controversial reputation. Thai police say they are awaiting autopsy results before determining the cause of Mr Caola's death.
New York Post
6 days ago
- New York Post
Tourist found dead in Thai ‘Sin City' apartment 2 hours after another man died in same complex
An Australian man has been found dead in an apartment in Pattaya, Thailand. Perth man Michael Shane Caola, 54, was discovered on Thursday in a room at the Grand Shivalay apartment complex in the Thai city nicknamed 'sin city'. Advertisement Police were called after Caola's relatives in Australia alerted staff that he had not answered his phone for two days. Officers found no sign of a struggle and an investigation is now underway. 6 Michael Shane Caola was found dead at the Grand Shivalay apartment complex in the Thai city nicknamed 'sin city'. ViralPress 6 Officers found no sign of a struggle and an investigation is now underway. Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress Advertisement Police Lieutenant Colonel Saijai Kamjulla of the Pattaya City Police Station said: 'The cause of the Australian man's death is still unknown and the results of the autopsy are pending. 6 Officers found no sign of a struggle. Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! Advertisement 'The case is currently under investigation, and further details cannot be disclosed at this time.' Apartment manager Thanchanok Prajit called authorities after finding Mr Caola's door locked. 'His family in Australia called the reception, saying they had been unable to contact him,' she said. 6 'His family in Australia called the reception,' the apartment manager said. ViralPress 6 Caola with his wife. ViralPress Advertisement 6 Two hours earlier, Swedish tourist Mika Huotari was found in the bathtub two floors below. Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress 'He was a regular customer often seen exercising, probably to take care of his health.' A Swedish tourist was found dead in the same apartment complex two hours earlier, however police do not suspect the deaths are related. Mika Huotari, 38, was found in the bathtub with a wound to his head two floors below Mr Caola's room. Local media reports a woman was seen on CCTV leaving Mr Huotari's room.
News.com.au
7 days ago
- News.com.au
Australian man found dead in Pattaya, Thailand
An Australian man has been found dead in an apartment in Pattaya, Thailand. Perth man Michael Shane Caola, 54, was discovered on Thursday in a room at the Grand Shivalay apartment complex in the Thai city nicknamed 'sin city'. Police were called after Mr Caola's relatives in Australia alerted staff that he had not answered his phone for two days. Officers found no sign of a struggle and an investigation is now underway. Police Lieutenant Colonel Saijai Kamjulla of the Pattaya City Police Station said: 'The cause of the Australian man's death is still unknown and the results of the autopsy are pending. 'The case is currently under investigation, and further details cannot be disclosed at this time.' Apartment manager Thanchanok Prajit called authorities after finding Mr Caola's door locked. 'His family in Australia called the reception, saying they had been unable to contact him,' she said. 'He was a regular customer often seen exercising, probably to take care of his health.' A Swedish tourist was found dead in the same apartment complex two hours earlier, however police do not suspect the deaths are related. Mika Huotari, 38, was found in the bathtub with a wound to his head two floors below Mr Caola's room. Local media reports a woman was seen on CCTV leaving Mr Huotari's room.
West Australian
7 days ago
- West Australian
Michael Shane Caola: Perth man found facedown in pool of blood in Thailand apartment
A man from Perth has been found dead in an apartment in Thailand where he was discovered facedown in a pool of blood. The 54-year-old is believed to be Michael Shane Caola and was found on the seventh floor of the Grand Shivalay apartment in the beachside city of Pattaya in Thailand according to The Daily Mail. Pattaya City Police investigator, Saijai Khamjulla, confirmed that he received reports of the dead Australian at about 4pm local time on Thursday. When entering the room where Caola's body was, officers reportedly found broken glass and scattered pill bottles but couldn't see any signs of struggle. It was the apartment manager, Thanchanok Prajit, who discovered Caola's body after noticing a foul odour coming from his room. 'He was a regular customer, often seen exercising, probably to take care of his health,' she reportedly said. Shockingly, two hours earlier police discovered the body of a 38-year-old Swedish national in a separate room two floors below in the same building. The Swedish man was found naked near an overflowing bathtub with a one-inch laceration to his forehead and right eyebrow, local media outlet Khaosod reported. 'His case does not involve any woman, unlike the previous case involving a Swedish national who died in the same apartment on the same day,' he said. Caola's Facebook profile reveals a series of photos of him alongside young woman who could be from Thailand and there's also a photo of him at what seems to be his own wedding in April 2016. The beachside city of Pattaya, famous for its sex-for-sale wild nightlife and despite recent efforts to remediate the city's image, crime continues to make international headlines.
