Perth woman killed in Thailand purse snatching

Photo / Thikstock

A Perth woman was killed in Thailand when man on the back of a motorcycle stabbed her while trying to snatch her bag.

Phuket Wan Tourism News said the woman, who was inspecting facilities on the resort island with a group of nine other travel agents from Perth, was walking along a street when a motorcycle pulled up beside her and a passenger attempted to take her bag.

The woman struggled with the man, holding on to her bag before falling to the ground with a stab wound to her heart, the website says.

Another woman walking with the victim received a gash to her arm, and the offenders sped off empty-handed.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said they were aware of the death of an Australian woman in Thailand and were providing consular assistance to her family.

"It would not be appropriate to discuss the case further while a police investigation is in progress," the spokesperson said.

Perth travel agent George Michalczyk of Motive Tours Australia, who has a female staff member on the tour, said she had contacted her colleagues via text and email late on Wednesday to say something horrible had happened but she was OK.

He imagined she would be in considerable shock having witnessed something so awful.

The group were going to attempt to return to Perth on Thursday afternoon, he said.

Mr Michalczyk said he understood the travel agents had just completed a hotel inspection and had dinner before the incident occurred on Kata Beach, which was quieter than the main nearby tourist area of Patong.

The offender had circled the group several times and made the group feel uneasy before he attempted the robbery.

"It's just amazing how something can get out of hand like this," Mr Michalczyk told Fairfax Radio.

He said crime such as this was not expected in a place like Phuket.

"To turn around and attack someone so viciously and kill them in the street in front of all this group ... from what I gather, all the staff and all the people in the street were just blown away with what happened.

"Will it scar Phuket? I hope it doesn't."

Jayson Westbury, chief executive of the Federation of Australian Travel Agents, said it was a tragedy.

"Dreadful news for the family, dreadful news for the travel industry here in Australia," Mr Westbury told ABC Radio.

"We're doing everything we can to try and reach out and see if we can assist there."

- AAP