Brit boy, 16, found dead in forest in Thailand as cops search for his missing girlfriend
A BRITISH teenager has been found dead in a forest in Thailand as cops hunt for his missing girlfriend.
Woramet Ben Taota, 16, went for a motorcycle ride with a girl named Yam, 16, on May 6 - but neither of them returned.
Cops received a report on Sunday morning that the teenager - known to friends as Ben - had been found dead in a woodland in the Mae Tha district in Lampang.
Ben - a keen motocross rider - was reportedly discovered with multiple injuries to his head and face.
Officers found his belongings, including a smartphone charger and his ID card and bank card, but his phone and cash were missing.
Police believe he could have been robbed for the gadget.
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They believe Ben was killed elsewhere and dumped in the woods as there were no signs of struggle where his body was found.
His girlfriend Yam is still missing and police are searching for her.
Police chief Sittisak Singtongla said: "The station received a notification at 10.15am that a deceased person was found in the undergrowth.
"The investigating team went to the area and found the victim with blood stains all over his face.
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"The face and head were found to have been beaten with a hard object until swelling and bruising was caused and there was also a deep wound in his face.
"The body has been taken to hospital for an autopsy.
"We are currently tracking down individuals close to the victim, including his female companion.
"She is a key figure in this case since she is the last person to see him alive."
Officers interviewed Ben's mother, Ooy Taota, but his British father's name has not been revealed.
Ooy told police her son had said goodbye to her on Saturday evening and told her he was "going to work with friends" but did not give any more details to her.
Cops said they are not ruling out any motives for the murder.
Singtongla said: "We have not yet finalised the issue.
"It is still unclear whether it was a robbery, because the phone and cash of the deceased were not found, but we still cannot rule out other issues."
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