Phuket Tragedy: Tourist Dies in Pool After Night of Partying

A 22-year-old Ugandan woman drowned in the swimming pool of a luxury villa on Thailand's Phuket island early Tuesday morning, following a night of drinking with a man she had just met. Police in the Kamala district received a distress call around 4 a.m. and found Claire Nabimanya floating face-down in the water. The Indian tourist who made the call told investigators he and Nabimanya had met at a bar on Bangla Road, Phuket's famous party strip, and later returned to his rented villa together.

According to his account, the pair decided to go for a swim after consuming alcohol. He claimed Nabimanya was not a confident swimmer. The pool measured about two meters deep with a sloping bottom. When she started to go under, he tried to pull her out but failed. He then scrambled out and called emergency services. Police found no evidence of a struggle or break-in at the villa, but the man was taken into custody for questioning and required to take a drug test.

Nabimanya's body was transported to a hospital for an autopsy. Thai authorities are working with the Ugandan embassy to inform her family and arrange for the return of her remains. The incident is the latest in a string of pool-related deaths involving tourists in Thailand, raising questions about safety protocols at private rental properties. The investigation continues.