Australian mum Karla Drescher, 47, was found dead beside her German lover in a Phuket resort after a night of drinking and sex. The pair met hours earlier. He wrote she was “peacefully sleeping” — but she was about to expire. Her son learned days later from the hotel.
A luxury Phuket resort. A tropical night. Two strangers. For 49-year-old German tourist Perry Shamiri, it was meant to be a fantasy. Around 4 am on October 27, in the Kata Beach district, he lay beside a woman he had met only hours earlier after a night of drinking, laughter and sex. She fell asleep, and he drifted off, content. When he woke to the sound of cleaners knocking, he turned to her — she wasn’t breathing. The woman of his dream was dead. He called police, shaking and in tears. Officers found him kneeling beside the bed, clutching her hands. Shamiri was questioned and cleared, then left Thailand soon after. Days later, her son in Australia realised something was wrong when her messages stopped. When he called the hotel, staff told him the news no one else had — his mother was gone.
A German tourist wrote a love letter to an Australian woman after a one-night fling in Phuket, calling her “peacefully sleeping.” But she was about to pass away beside him, already taken by a sleep from which she never awoke.
Darwin mother, Karla Anne Drescher, 47, was later found lifeless in bed at the Sawasdee Village Resort near Kata Beach. She had checked into the luxury resort for a solo holiday in southern Thailand. Police said she died sometime between 6.30 am and 8.30 am on October 27.
Her companion, German traveller Perry Shamiri, 49, told police they had met just hours earlier.
German tourist’s romantic night in Phuket ends in tragedy as woman found dead beside him hours later
According to investigators, they met at a Kata Beach bar on October 26 and began drinking together. Witnesses said they appeared close and flirtatious. Then, around 1 am, they left together and returned to her $700-a-night resort suite.
Inside the room, they drank more cocktails. They later had sex and then tried to swim in the resort’s pool at about 4 am. But the pool was closed. Ms Drescher went to bed soon after.
As she slept, Shamiri took a notepad from the hotel desk. He wrote a letter that Thai police later found beside the bed. “Thank you for the most beautiful night of my life,” it said. “Now I’m watching you sleep peacefully in front of me. You are the most beautiful woman I ever met. I love you.”
According to police, Shamiri told them he was too drunk to remember what time he wrote the letter. He fell asleep beside her. When resort cleaners knocked on the door before noon, he woke up. Then he saw that she was not breathing.
Officers found him kneeling by the bed, holding her hands and crying.
Lieutenant Phirawat Yodtor from Karon Police said there were no signs of struggle. “She was lying on her bed,” he told Thai reporters. “There was no evidence of injury.”
Police find no signs of foul play as love letter discovered beside lifeless Australian tourist in Phuket
Investigators discovered prescription medication, including antidepressants, in the room. They also found three open cans of alcoholic drinks and two half-empty cocktail glasses.
Shamiri tested negative for drugs. He told officers she had “consumed a large amount of alcohol.” He said, “We had another drink in the room, sex, and went to sleep. Around noon, I woke up when the cleaning staff knocked on the door. When I went to wake her, she wasn’t breathing.”
CCTV footage showed the pair returning to the resort together after 1 am. There was no footage of any argument or disturbance. Police confirmed his account matched the timeline.
A preliminary forensic report indicated she may have suffered cardiac arrest. Investigators believe it was possibly linked to a mix of prescribed anxiety medication and alcohol. Her final cause of death will be confirmed by post-mortem results.
Police sealed the room for several hours. Forensic officers examined the bed, desk, and minibar. They photographed the letter, the alcohol containers, and her medications. Then they took her phone and passport for further analysis.
Post-mortem points to alcohol and medication as investigators seal resort room for forensics
Her body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for examination. Doctors said there were no external injuries or signs of assault. Preliminary results suggested respiratory failure after mixing alcohol with medication.
Officers ruled out foul play and released Shamiri without charge. He left Thailand in early November.
Drescher’s 21-year-old son, Travis Deveraux, said he grew worried after she stopped replying to his messages. “She messages me every day,” he said. “She didn’t reply for two days, so I called her hotel.”
Then he received the news no one had delivered. “They said, ‘Have the police not contacted you? Sadly, she has passed.’
He told news.com.au that he was shocked and angry at the lack of official contact. “The way I found out was very wrong,” he said. He added that his mother had been “healthy and not unwell in any way.”
Son learns of his mother’s death only after calling the hotel after daily messages suddenly stopped
Deveraux has launched a GoFundMe page to bring her body home. He said his mother was his best friend and that they spoke multiple times each day.
Ms Drescher had lived in Darwin for 25 years but was originally from Stratford, Taranaki, in New Zealand. She had been documenting her Thailand trip online, calling it her “trip of a lifetime.”
Friends posted messages of excitement before she left. “Trip of a lifetime! I hope you’re ready for an adventure!” one friend wrote. Another added, “Enjoy your trip, Karla. You certainly deserve it.”
During her stay, she shared photos from spa treatments, an elephant sanctuary, and Maya Bay — the famous site from the film The Beach. “It’s been on my bucket list,” she wrote. “It did not disappoint.”
Local media in Phuket reported she had been dead for hours before she was found. Police said she likely died in the early morning as Shamiri slept beside her.
Friends recall her ‘trip of a lifetime’ as police confirm she died while her companion slept beside her
According to Phuket News, early forensic results pointed to a combination of prescribed medicine and excessive alcohol leading to respiratory failure.
After questioning, police confirmed that Shamiri’s account was consistent. He cooperated fully and provided a written statement. He was not charged with any crime.
The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok confirmed it was assisting the family. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also said it was also in contact with local authorities.
Meanwhile, Deveraux said he believes there are still unanswered questions. “I have no idea who the German is,” he said. “She sent me photos of her having drinks the night before and never said anything about him.”
Friends in Darwin have organised a candlelight vigil once her body returns home. A close friend said she was “excited for her holiday” and had planned to visit several islands before returning in November.
Police rule out foul play as embassies assist the family. Son questions certain details and why he was not told
Her final social media post showed her smiling beside the resort pool. The caption read, “Paradise found.”
Police said the investigation remains open until autopsy and toxicology results are complete. No criminal charges have been filed.
The Sawasdee Village Resort confirmed staff responded immediately when cleaners raised the alarm. “We are deeply saddened by this incident,” a spokesperson said. “We contacted authorities at once and cooperated with their investigation.”
Officers said the love letter would remain part of the case file. It was written in English, signed “Perry,” and placed neatly on the desk.
Forensic officers said the paper carried no fingerprints other than his. They found no signs of a struggle or forced entry. The room was in order.
The case has drawn attention in both Australia and New Zealand. Officials are awaiting Thai autopsy findings before deciding whether further inquiries are needed.
Autopsy and toxicology results awaited as case draws attention across Australia, New Zealand and Thailand
Drescher’s death followed days of social media posts showing her enjoying beaches, markets, and spa treatments. Friends described her as “happy and glowing” during her trip.
Her son said the sudden silence from her phone was the first sign something was wrong. “I was calling and messaging,” he said. “Then I had to hear it from the hotel.”
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Thai authorities said the results of toxicology testing would take several weeks. The final report will determine whether her death was caused by a medical episode or by the combination of substances.
For now, her family waits for answers —her body, it was just confirmed, has already been flown home.
The only document describing her final moments remains the brief letter left by the man she met hours earlier. In it, he thanked her, told her she was beautiful, and wrote that she was “peacefully sleeping.” But she was, in truth, already gone on her next journey.
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Further reading:
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