A British boxer, Joshua Goldstone, 21, was found dead in a hotel room in Pattaya, Thailand, on Wednesday morning, October 30, according to local law enforcement. He was discovered alongside his Australian friend, a fellow boxer, who was heavily intoxicated.
Goldstone was found on the fourth floor of the Vogue Hotel, lying face-up. His friend, Jayson Tonkin, 27, of Manly, Sydney, was in a state of drug intoxication and was promptly taken to the intensive care unit.
Police Lieutenant Thanawi Yarangsi reported an initial miscommunication regarding the identity of the deceased. “We have taken photos of the scene and collected all evidence. We believe he may have died from a drug overdose based on what we found in the room. We will question his friend further when he is conscious,” the police spokesman stated.
Hotel employees reported a disturbance in the fourth-floor room before finding the two men. In the room, police discovered cannabis, ketamine, and drug-related equipment. There were no indications of an assault or struggle.
Tonkin, also known as “The Dingo,” relocated to Thailand when he was a teenager in 2012 and started his Muay Thai boxing career at the age of 15. He was set to go against Tengnueng Sitjaesairoong, the WBC Muay Thai world number one middleweight champion, on October 20, however, the match was cancelled due to monsoon rains.
Earlier this year, during a podcast about mental health, Tonkin candidly discussed his struggles with substance abuse, particularly methamphetamine.
According to Thai law, possession of Category 2 drugs, including ketamine, can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison. More serious punishments, including potential life sentences, are issued for drug distribution.
Online, friends paid tribute to Goldstone, describing him as a pleasant and enjoyable individual, and lamenting his death as a tragic loss.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Tonkin, who remains in the ICU.
In March this year, Tonkin shared a raw and unfiltered account of his encounters with sex workers, methamphetamine, and other substances, detailing his struggles with addiction and his life on the run from law enforcement. He described one vivid experience of being heavily under the influence of meth, feeling paralyzed for hours along with immense pain, as though his skull was being crushed and a woman’s voice was reverberating in his ear.
He revealed that he moved to Bangkok, known as the ‘wild sex capital of the world,’ at the age of 15 with his father, and he ‘lost his virginity’ to a sex worker chosen for him at a club.
Last week, Joshua Goldstone uploaded a photo on Instagram, featuring himself alongside Tonkin and three other men, possibly Thai residents, enjoying a party with food and beer.
Just four days before his death, Goldstone shared a video of him and Tonkin riding a bike loaded with cannabis plants, laughing as they navigated the streets of Pattaya at night.
