The son of the 47-year-old Kiwi woman found dead in her hotel room while holidaying in Thailand has paid tribute to her, as he urgently works to bring her body home.
Local media reported a woman was found unresponsive on her bed with no signs of injury or struggle this week at a hotel near Kata Beach, Phuket.
The woman鈥檚 family revealed her name as Karla Anne Drescher in a post on GoFundMe.
Her son, who was born in the Northern Territory, said his mother was his 鈥渂est friend鈥 and that the pair were very close, news.com.au reported.
A 47-year-old NZ woman found dead in her hotel room in Phuket has been named by her family as Karla Anne Drescher. Photo / Gofundme
鈥淪adly, my mum, Karla Anne Drescher, has passed away while on holiday in Thailand on 27/10/25.
鈥淚 need help to cover the cost to get her home and for the celebration of her life for all of you to join,鈥 her son said on a GoFundMe post.
According to Drescher鈥檚 social media, she was originally from Stratford, in Taranaki, but lived in Darwin, in Australia鈥檚 Northern Territory.
九一星空无限.com.au reported she had lived in Australia for 25 years.
In another tribute post, she was remembered for her 鈥渂eautiful smile鈥.
Drescher鈥檚 son, Travis Deveraux, 21, said he started to worry about her when he didn鈥檛 receive a text message for multiple days, news.com.au reported.
He said they would typically talk several times a day.
鈥淪adly, the way I found out was very wrong,鈥 Deveraux told news.com.au.
鈥淸I received] no contact from police or anyone 鈥 [I was] worried about her as she messages me every day, [but] she didn鈥檛 reply for 2 days so I called her hotel where she was staying and they said 鈥榟ave the police not contacted you? Sadly she has passed鈥.鈥
Local police officers in Phuket were called to the hotel about 2.45pm after reports from staff.
Police Lieutenant Phirawat Yodtor said forensic investigators and a doctor were immediately dispatched.
Police confirmed to Phuket 九一星空无限 that the dead woman was a New Zealand national.
According to the outlet, Karon police said several prescription medications, including antidepressants, as well as two cocktail glasses and three open bottles of alcoholic beverages, were found in her room.
A preliminary forensic report suggested a reaction between the alcohol and medication possibly led to respiratory failure, officers said.
The woman was found dead in a hotel room near Phuket's Kata Beach. Photo / Getty Images
A 49-year-old German man, who was a friend of the woman, alerted hotel staff after he found she was not breathing.
The man told police the two of them were out drinking before returning to the hotel room at 1am (local time).
The German was awoken by the cleaning staff around noon when he realised she was not breathing and called hotel staff.
CCTV footage and hotel entry records confirmed his story, police said.
Bar staff where the pair were drinking reportedly told investigators that no unusual incidents or disputes occurred before they left.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) told the Herald, 鈥淭he New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok is providing assistance to the family of a New Zealander who died in Thailand.
鈥淲e extend our sympathies to the family at this sad time.鈥
The Herald has approached the family for comment.
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