A gaming addict was found dead in an Internet cafe - slumped over the computer during an all-night session.

Multiplayer fanatic Jirakrit Ruangsri, 42, settled down with fizzy drinks and snacks at the outlet in Chonburi, eastern Thailand, on Saturday evening.

Hours into his nightly routine, he leaned over his desk and lay his head on his arm before closing his eyes. Staff let him sleep, believing he was simply tired from a long day.

However, the cafe manager tried to rouse him on Sunday morning, only to discover he was no longer breathing.

Police were called to the scene at 7 am and found Jirakrit unresponsive at the end of a row of computers. He was on a gaming chair, hunched over with his head resting on his left arm in front of a shut-off monitor.

Police Captain Itsaraphong Suwannajak of the Laem Chabang district station said: 'The deceased is estimated to have been dead for more than six hours because his body was already stiff. No signs of assault were found.

'Police inspected his motorcycle and found multiple appointment slips from Chonburi Hospital under his name. They were appointments to discuss heart surgery.'

Officers found on his desk a bottle of drinking water, a can of pop, snacks, two herbal inhalers and a motorcycle key. There was also a backpack containing his clothes and various medications.

Shop employee Pongamorn Donprai, 25, said Jirakrit visited the cafe almost daily to relax.

He said: 'That night, he came in, sat down and spent around two hours alone watching movies and listening to music, while playing a game.

'At around midnight, I saw that he had fallen asleep, so I went to wake him up. He was still breathing and I thought he was just tired so I let him rest.

'But when the manager arrived to clean at around 6 am, we saw him lying face-down. He wouldn't wake up no matter how much we shook him. It turned out he was already dead.'

Staff said Jirakrit often chatted with them about his life and revealed that he had been suffering from heart disease. He was described as friendly and generous, occasionally bringing them gifts.

Police said Jirakrit's body was taken to the Laem Chabang Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of his death.