British woman held in slaying of Pattaya cannabis farm operator

PUBLISHED : 4 Jul 2026 at 10:00

UPDATED : 4 Jul 2026 at 11:31

A 21-year-old British woman has been arrested on suspicion of murdering her boyfriend, the operator of a cannabis farm in Chon Buri, after a fatal stabbing at a luxury rental home in Pattaya.

Police were called to the house in Nong Prue on Thursday morning after reports of a violent incident involving a foreign couple, said Pol Col Nattaphon Phongsuksakul, chief of the Nong Prue police station.

Officers found the body of Thomas David Powell, 34, lying in a bathroom attached to a bedroom. He had two stab wounds to his back, three to his torso and one to his left hand. He was believed to have been dead for at least six hours.

Investigators identified the suspect as Isabel Violet Carreras, the victim’s girlfriend. She was found sitting near the body and appeared to be heavily intoxicated by cannabis, said police.

Investigators noted cuts on her fingertips, and recovered a 50cm machete-like knife that had been washed clean in a sink.

Police said the woman claimed her husband had injured himself. However, investigators found inconsistencies in her account.

The victim’s body appeared to have been moved and arranged in the bathroom, with a pillow under the head, while bloodstains and signs of a struggle were found throughout the house.

A British friend of the victim, who discovered the body, told police he had been alerted by a business partner in the United States who feared something was wrong. He went into the house to check, while also recording a video. He then alerted the police.

Neighbours said the couple had rented the property only two weeks earlier and were frequently heard arguing.

Powell reportedly managed a cannabis farm in Bang Lamung Soi 14. Police said the couple had been together for about two years and planned to settle in Thailand.

The woman reportedly told investigators they had gone to look at engagement rings before returning home and smoking cannabis together. She claimed she could not remember the events that followed.