Thai maid to inherit $2.7M from French businesswoman

Catherine Delacote, 59, was found dead on April 29 in her Koh Samui villa, in a suspected suicide. A gun was found at the scene, according to The Straits Times.

Nutwalai Phupongta, 49, who had worked for Delacote for 17 years, was not at the villa when her boss was found dead on a bed beside the swimming pool. She rushed to the villa when she received a call from the pool cleaner.

When the police arrived at the scene, the maid showed them a message sent by her late boss on messaging app Line. Delacote reportedly stated in the message that she would bequeath to Nutwalai her villa, 0.32 hectares of land beside the villa, a luxury car, some jewellery and cash.

Delacote and her former husband, also French, relocated to the island 12 years ago, according to Phupongta. The couple later divorced, and Delacote lived alone in the villa, according to The Bangkok Post.

Earlier, Delacote had transferred 500,000 baht to Phupongta to cover her funeral expenses, police stated.