A Lithuanian tourist was arrested today over the alleged murder of his glamorous Thai transgender partner.

Officers began searching for Marius Kunickas, 31, after the body of Thiraphong Lamluea, 31, was discovered last night June 15 in Surin, northeast Thailand.

Neighbours said that Marius, who worked in Norway, and Thiraphong had arrived in the village last month. They believed that Thiraphong had left with her boyfriend as neither had been seen since the end of May.

However, they were shocked when they smelled a decomposing body and found the pretty transgender girl wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in a store room at the back of the family property.

Police forensic teams arrived at the scene and coordinated with officers, who suspect that Thiraphong had been murdered around three weeks ago.

Marius was arrested 300 miles away in the notorious coastal resort of Pattaya, where he had been staying in a cheap hotel on Jomtien Beach near the city's red-light district. Officers said they tracked him by using the GPS signal of Thiraphong's phone, which he had taken with him.

Speaking today, Police General Damrongsak Kittipraphat, the deputy chief of the country's police force, said officers had begun tracking Marius as soon as an arrest warrant was made.

He said: 'The suspect has been arrested on suspicion of causing the death of Thiraphong Lamluea and concealing her body in order to disguise the death.

'The suspect's hotel room will be searched for further evidence and he will be interviewed about the situation that lead to his partner's death.'

Police said that Marius and Thiraphong, who was born a man but in later life began dressing as a woman, had met around six or seven months ago in the red-light district on the island of Phuket.

The couple had visited Thiraphong's home town twice. The first time they stayed in a hotel but on the most recent trip, they stayed in the family home.

Thiraphong's shocked mother Wandee Lamluea, 47, said she found her son's body behind the house.

She added: 'I thought he had gone away with his boyfriend. I did not suspect anything was wrong until I smelled something strong and went to look.

'I cannot understand what has happened or why my son died. They both seemed so happy when they were here together.'

Police said that an arrest warrant was issued at the region's court for Marius to be arrested and questioned over the suspected murder.

He was later tracked using the GPS signal of his dead partner's phone, which he had allegedly taken with him after leaving her body behind.

Police Captain Senee Chim-ngam added: 'The suspect has been arrested. He will be interrogated to find out what happened to the victim. Now it will go through the legal process.'