THE REMAINS of a tourist missing for three weeks have been found in a shallow grave near Thailand’s infamous party hub.
Mikhail Emelianov, 30, vanished last month after a shady business deal, only for dismembered body parts to be unearthed on February 1.
Footage shows officers carefully collecting his severed limbs, which had been wrapped in black plastic and cloth and buried in 2ft deep holes across the overgrown wasteland.
Police confirmed they were still in the process of formally identifying the remains but are confident they belong to Emelianov based on his clothing and tattoos.
Preliminary investigations indicate his injuries were consistent with blunt force trauma, pointing to a violent attack.
Police Major General Phongphan Wongmaneethet said: “Forensic police and rescuers recovered all discovered body parts and documented them.
“Parts of the body from the best to the body were still missing, and officers recorded that the victim had been dead for at least 10 days.”
Investigators believe Mikhail was killed over a $120,000 debt linking to heroin.
Local resident Phen, 53, described an unsettling encounter when her dog retrieved a bloodstained and foul-smelling object three days earlier.
She said: “I began to have suspicions. I also saw a man carrying a hoe walking away from the scene, but I’m not sure if he’s involved.
“When I learned police had found a dismembered body buried near my home, I couldn’t believe it.
“I never thought such a thing could happen so close to where I am.”
This grisly discovery follows a frantic, weeks-long search for the Russian national.
He disappeared after meeting with two “dangerous” Russian men on January 7 as part of dubious business deal in Pattaya.
That day, he kept sharing his location with his mother, Olga Lazabenko, 51, before sending her a final message that evening.
Two Russian men have since been arrested in connection with Emelianov’s murder.
Iaroslav Demidov, 34, and Dmitrii Makalev, 37, are currently in custody as investigations continue.
The pair have been charged with “intentional homicide, concealing a corpse to hide the death, and detention for ransom involving torture or acts of cruelty resulting in the victim’s death.”
Olga flew to Thailand after her son called to warn her about the deal.
She later revealed she has lent her son $10,000 to invest in a cannabis shop he had been running for more than two years in Pattaya.
Pattaya, famous for its beaches, vibrant nightlife, and bustling tourist attractions, has become a popular retreat for Russian tourists seeking to avoid conscription.
The city’s darker side – where drugs and violent crime are all too common – has earned it the ominous nickname “Sin City”.
