Ugandan Woman Dies in Thailand Villa Swimming Pool Tragedy

A 22-year-old Ugandan woman has died after drowning in a private villa swimming pool in Phuket, Thailand, marking the second reported drowning involving a foreign woman at a luxury accommodation facility in the resort destination within two days.

Claire Nabimanya was found unconscious at the bottom of a swimming pool at a villa in the Kamala area of Kathu District in the early hours of Thursday, July 23, 2026.

According to Thai media reports, including Khaosod English, emergency responders were alerted at about 5:15am after receiving a report that a foreign tourist had drowned. Rescue teams had earlier responded to a medical emergency call at around 4:30am.

Kamala Police said Nabimanya’s body was recovered from the pool and taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

Police said an Indian tourist who reported the incident told investigators that he had arrived in Thailand the previous day for a holiday and met Nabimanya at an entertainment venue along Bangla Road.

The man told police they had consumed alcohol before returning to the villa, where they entered the swimming pool at around 4:00am. According to his statement, Nabimanya was not a strong swimmer and appeared to struggle in the water before drowning. He said he tried to rescue her but was unsuccessful.

The man reportedly attempted to call Thailand’s emergency police number, 191, but was unable to connect. He later contacted the medical emergency hotline, 1669, which dispatched rescue teams. Police later tested the 191 emergency line using the witness’s phone and confirmed that the call could not connect.

During an inspection of the villa, investigators found the swimming pool was about two metres deep with a sloping floor. They also noted that no lifesaving equipment was available near the pool. Police said there were no signs of a struggle, and the villa room appeared undisturbed.

The Indian tourist was taken in for further questioning and underwent a drug test as part of standard investigation procedures.

Nabimanya’s body remains at Vachira Phuket Hospital as authorities await the results of the post-mortem examination. Thai police are also working with the Ugandan Embassy to notify her family and facilitate the repatriation of her remains.

The Nile Post has contacted Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more information regarding the incident and efforts to support the deceased’s family.

The tragedy comes just a day after Thai authorities reported the death of a 45-year-old Australian woman who drowned in the swimming pool of another luxury villa in Phuket.

The Australian woman was found unconscious in the pool at The Cape Yamu resort on Phuket’s east coast, where she had been holidaying with her husband and relatives. Family members pulled her from the water and performed CPR before emergency responders arrived, but she was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The two incidents have renewed concerns about swimming pool safety at Thailand’s tourist accommodation facilities, particularly the availability of lifesaving equipment and the effectiveness of emergency response systems.