A 47-year-old Australian mother, Karla Drescher, has died at a luxury resort in Phuket, Thailand, following a night of drinking with a German tourist. Drescher, from Darwin, had spent thousands on cosmetic procedures and was a promotional figure for a Vietnamese cosmetic tourism agency.
Drescher's New Year's resolution for 2025 was to embrace 'unapologetic self-indulgence', according to her social media. She had invested heavily in Botox, fillers, and skin treatments, and in February paid around $10,000 for ceramic crowns in Vietnam with the agency Glam Jet. Her photos and testimonials were used on their website.
In October, she travelled solo to Phuket, staying at the Sawasdee Village Resort in a $700-a-night room. On October 26, she partied with Perry Shamiri, 49, at Black Cat's Bar on Kata Beach, later taking him back to her room and ordering a bottle of gin. Staff advised against a 4am swim, and Drescher fell asleep.
Shamiri wrote a letter to Drescher as she slept, expressing love and gratitude. Police believe Drescher died between 6.30am and 8.30am. Shamiri was woken by cleaners, found her unresponsive, and called police. He was cleared of suspicion after a negative drug test and left Thailand in early November.
Prescription antidepressants and open alcohol containers were found in the room. Police suspect a possible cardiac arrest due to an overdose of anxiety medication mixed with alcohol, pending autopsy results. There were no signs of struggle or injury.
