22-Year-Old Ugandan Woman Drowns in Thailand Villa Pool

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Claire Nabimanya, a 22-year-old Ugandan described as a tourist, died after drowning in a private villa swimming pool on Thailand’s Phuket Island. The incident reportedly occurred in the Kamala area of Kathu District in the early hours of Thursday, July 23, 2026. Thai authorities are investigating the circumstances and are coordinating with Ugandan officials on notifying her family and repatriating her remains.

Citing Thai media, including Khaosod English, Nile Post said emergency responders were called after a report that a foreign tourist had drowned. Police said Nabimanya was recovered from the pool and taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Investigators were told by an Indian tourist who reported the incident that he had met Nabimanya at an entertainment venue on Bangla Road, that they had consumed alcohol, and that they later entered the villa pool at around 4am.

According to the account relayed to police, the man said Nabimanya struggled in the water and he was unable to rescue her. Nile Post reported that police later checked his claim that Thailand’s 191 emergency line could not connect from his phone, and that help was eventually sought through the 1669 medical emergency hotline. Officers also reportedly found the pool was about two metres deep with a sloping floor and no lifesaving equipment nearby.

The publisher said police found no apparent signs of a struggle and that the villa room was undisturbed, while the witness was questioned and tested for drugs as part of routine inquiries. The death followed another reported drowning of a foreign woman at a Phuket luxury villa, raising renewed attention to pool safety at tourist accommodation facilities.