A Chinese millionaire was found dead, lying face down in the sand at a beach in Thailand.

Ronghua Qiu, 40, who held was spotted by a hotel worker who was cleaning Yinyom Beach in Pattaya on Saturday morning, April 5 at 7:30 am.

The wealthy Chinese businessman's face was reportedly buried in the dirt along with his arms. He had bruises on the forehead and neck, while the bone on his right eyebrow was fractured.

Blood was also flowing from his nose, and he had been assumed dead for six to 12 hours as a doctor on duty at Pattaya Pathomkun Hospital arrived to examine his body.

Ronghua's white shirt was rolled up to his neck, and he was wearing long jeans. A mobile phone and a pair of flip-flops were lying nearby.

The shocked hotel employee then rushed to call for help before police arrived at the scene.

Footage shows authorities gathered in the area where Ronghua's body was discovered, investigating his death.

Officials said that Ronghua had been staying in Thailand using a Thailand Elite Visa and he had shown funds worth more than several million dollars in his bank to receive the paperwork.

Pattaya City Police Station Superintendent Police Colonel Anek Sathongyu said: 'We have conducted the initial examination on the body, but the actual cause of death could not be determined.'

Authorities released an initial report saying the Chinese millionaire had slipped and hit his head on a rock before losing consciousness and drowning in the sea.

However, Police Colonel Anek said the body would be sent to the Police General Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine for a post-mortem examination and to find the cause of death.

Ronghua's body was covered with a white cloth while forensics officers were recording evidence in the area before being sent to the hospital for a post-mortem examination.

The superintendent added: 'He travelled to Thailand in 2023 and has been in and out of the country several times since then.'

The Chinese man reportedly lived in Baan Talay, an exclusive subdivision around 3km from where he was found dead.

Investigations into the Chinese millionaire's death are ongoing.

(1 THB=0.022 GBP)