A 22-year-old Ugandan woman identified as Claire Nabimanya has died after drowning in a private swimming pool at a villa in Phuket, Thailand. The tragic incident happened at a luxury accommodation facility in the Kamala area of Kathu District, with Thai authorities now investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
According to reports from Thai media, Nabimanya was discovered unconscious at the bottom of the swimming pool early Thursday morning, July 23, 2026. Emergency responders were alerted after receiving reports that a foreign tourist had drowned at the private villa.
Police said an Indian tourist who had met Nabimanya while on holiday in Thailand reported the incident. The man told investigators that he had arrived in the country a day earlier and met her at an entertainment venue along Bangla Road before they later went to the villa.
The witness reportedly told police that the two had consumed alcohol before entering the swimming pool at around 4am. He said Nabimanya was not a strong swimmer and appeared to struggle in the water before drowning. He reportedly tried to rescue her but was unsuccessful.
Emergency response teams later arrived at the scene and Nabimanya was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where her body was taken for a post-mortem examination. Authorities said the examination will help establish the exact cause of her death.
During investigations, police inspected the villa and found that the swimming pool was approximately two metres deep with a sloping floor. Officers also noted that there was no lifesaving equipment available near the pool, although they said there were no signs of a struggle and the villa appeared undisturbed.
The Indian tourist was taken for further questioning and underwent a drug test as part of the ongoing investigation. Police also checked claims that emergency calls could not connect, after the witness reportedly said he struggled to reach Thailand’s emergency police line before contacting medical responders.
Nabimanya’s body remains at Vachira Phuket Hospital as Thai authorities work with the Ugandan Embassy to notify her family and organise the repatriation of her remains. The incident has renewed concerns about swimming pool safety in tourist facilities after another foreign visitor, a 45-year-old Australian woman, also drowned at a private villa in Phuket days earlier.
