A Chinese businessman was found dead with more than 20 knife wounds after he allegedly refused to pay an underage sex worker at a hotel resort in southern Thailand.

Married father-of-three Zhirui Li, 43, reportedly hired the prostitute Fai, 17, and took her to a hotel under the guise of a business trip in Trang province on May 15 afternoon. The legal age for sex workers is 18.

The pair had an overnight romp in their room, but the businessman said he was 'disappointed' and reportedly denied Fai payment. He allegedly beat her when she tried to demand it from him.

However, the furious sex worker allegedly called her friends Natdanai Aunjaiphuen, 22, Nataphol Suklueng, 19, who stabbed him repeatedly while he was taking a shower. The trio were arrested and taken on a crime reconstruction on Wednesday.

Police Colonel Sakda Charoenkul, the deputy commander of the Investigation Division of Provincial Police Region 9, said the three suspects have been remanded in custody following their arrest in neighbouring Satun province.

He said: 'Police have seized from a small knife that we believe was the murder weapon, the victim's white Honda Accord, 11 bank books, five ATM cards, a credit card, 11,700 baht in cash, three mobile phones, two passports, and a wallet.

'The young woman said she was close to the victim but this time they argued because he was disappointed with her service.

'Her two friends have confessed to killing the Chinese man. They will be sent to court to face their charge of murder.'

Alleged killer Natdanai told police that Li had hired the teenager Fai three times before to provide sex services, but this time the two had fought when the businessman reportedly denied payment and assaulted her, leading to the gruesome murder.

She retaliated by trying to get him drunk on beer to steal his cash but did not anticipate his high alcohol tolerance. Failing her plan, she then called her friends Natdanai Aunjaiphuen, 22, Nataphol Suklueng, 19, and hatched a scheme to ambush Li.

While the Chinese man was taking a bath, Natdanai climbed inside the hotel room through a window Fai had opened before assaulting Li in the shower.

Natdanai allegedly plunged the knife repeatedly into the businessman until he lay lifeless on the floor. The trio allegedly looted his belongings before escaping in his car to the Hat Yai district of Songkhla province around 107 miles away.

Li's body was found the following afternoon when staff called him only to receive no response.

A cleaner was sent to knock on his door, but she was met with silence. She then entered and was shocked to find blood pooling in front of the bathroom.

The frightened maid said: 'I was scared to go in alone, so I told the manager and called another cleaner. When we opened the door, we found the man lying on the floor in his own blood.'

The bathroom's walls and sink were streaked with blood and gruesome red spatters. In the middle of the carnage was Li's lifeless body face down and full of stab wounds, with only a towel draped around his waist.

Thai police were called to the scene. They said Li had suffered around 20 stab wounds to his front and back, including one on his chest believed to have pierced his heart. He was said to have been dead for around 12 hours.

The cops also found a pair of women's shoes inside the room, along with Li's own footwear, several cans of beer, a pack of cigarettes, and a pair of unused condoms.

CCTV footage revealed that Li's female companion had left the hotel without him in his Honda Accord at 2:23 AM on May 16.

Li's Thai wife, who was not named, was also at the scene. She was 'distressed and in a state of shock'.

She said that Li, who owned rubber wood processing factories in Songkhla, Surat Thani, and Trang provinces, had regular business in Trang so he often stayed at the same resort. She added that she was legally married to him and that they have three children together, but declined to comment further.