A Briton was brutally killed and his compatriot badly hurt in a knife attack in front of a rented house in Muang district of Kanchanaburi in the early hours of Saturday, police said.
The fatal attack occurred in tambon Tha Makham at 3.55am, Thai media reported on Saturday.
Pol Col Somkiart Chomchai, chief of Muang police station in Kanchanaburi, led a team of police, forensic officers, tourist police and a doctor to the crime scene.
The dead Briton, 49, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was found lying face down in a pool of blood with knife wounds to his neck near a marble chair in front of the house.
Shaun Kevin Dagnan, 55, sustained serious knife injuries. A sickle and a pair of shoes believed to belong to a male attacker were found at the scene, police said.
According to a police investigation, the two Britons were drinking beer in front of the house and playing loud music late at night before the attack. Later, the attacker walked towards them and attacked them before fleeing.
Police initially believed the attacker might have been upset by the loud music.
A neighbour, who was a relative of the dead victim's girlfriend, told police that he heard a loud noise while sleeping. He came out of his house and found the two foreigners who had been attacked.
Local media reported that police had obtained the identity of the suspect, aged around 22-23 years old.
The suspect lived nearby and had a hospital record of mental health problems. He was physically attacked by angry residents and was sent to a hospital.