Shane Warne: Cricket star may have been dead for 45 minutes before he was found in Koh Samui villa

Shane Warne may have been dead for up to 45 minutes before paramedics were called to his luxury villa in Thailand, first responders claim. 

The revelation comes as a staff member from Samujana Villas says he charmed her and other colleagues with his charisma and kindness in the short time he spent there before his sudden death less than 24 hours after stepping off the plane.

Anucha Hanaiam and Kittchai Huadmuang are both paramedics who responded to distressing calls from the resort on the afternoon of Friday, March 4.

They told Daily Mail Australia it was likely Warne suffered a heart attack while relaxing alone well before his mates thought to check on him in his room.

The great Australian leg spinner planned a relaxing afternoon on Friday with multiple masseuses and a manicurist and pedicurist booked to come to the villa for back-to-back treatments.  

A staff member at the resort told Daily Mail Australia that most of the treatments were booked through his villa manager, using staff from nearby affiliate parlours.

A second massage was likely booked on Warne’s behalf by a friend or by the 52-year-old himself.

After receiving his spa treatments, Warne hoped to settle in to watch the first Australia v Pakistan Test on television and was going to round out the week by hitting a local bar with his mates, but never made it.

Here, Daily Mail Australia reports Shane Warne’s final hours, from the staff who assisted him to the first responders who tried their hardest to resuscitate him with CPR.

CCTV captured Warne strolling through his Koh Samui villa after a visit to his tailor earlier that afternoon

Four masseuses were seen on CCTV leaving the resort about 3pm but it is understood only two of the women had serviced Warne including one known as Bovi (at the front with backpack on)

First responders have also revealed that Warne might have been dead for up to 45 minutes before they arrived at his luxury villa. His body is pictured being transported from Koh Samui morgue on March 6

This is one of the last pictures Warne posed for before he suffered a heart attack. The great Australian leg spinner planned a relaxing afternoon on his last day with multiple massages, a manicure and pedicure booked back-to-back in the afternoon.

Thai paramedics Anucha Hanaiam and Kittchai Huadmuang responded to distressing calls from Samujana Villas on Koh Samui on the afternoon of Friday, March 4

The relaxation treatments   

After flying into Koh Samui late on Thursday, March 3, Warne booked several masseuses to come to the luxury Samujana villa on Friday for an in-house spa day.

Four women were seen on CCTV leaving the resort about 2.58pm but it is understood only two of the women had serviced Warne.

A staff member at the villa said the women pictured in the footage were not affiliates of the resort and had likely been booked privately through Warne’s party. This is not uncommon.

One of the massage therapists, known by her nickname Bovi, told a friend he seemed perfectly happy after she left.

The 27-year-old said: ‘He seemed to enjoy himself very much.’

‘Everything was fine. He seemed perfectly healthy and gave us a good tip when we finished.

‘We were both so shocked when we found out later that he had died.’

As the last people to see Warne alive, Bovi and Plu-Gun have been interviewed by Thai police.

Detectives on the island have ruled out any foul play. A post-mortem found he died of natural causes.

Paramedics have told Daily Mail Australia it was likely Warne suffered a heart attack while relaxing alone well before his mates thought to check on him in his room. Forensic officers examine the contents of Warne’s luggage in his villa

Speaking through a friend, a staff member who greeted Warne and his group when they arrived at the villa on Thursday night told Daily Mail Australia he was charming and excited to be back on the island – after Covid prevented most travel in 2020 and 2021.

‘We know Gareth (Warne’s friend) and they said it’s great to be back at Samujana,’ the staff member said.

‘Shane was smiley and had a certain way to walk, like a bounce in his step. He was here to relax.’

The men all settled into their rooms in the five-bedroom villa and the next morning spoke with their private villa manager to arrange treatments later in the day.

Samujana offers each villa a personalised manager, maid and private chef.

After scheduling afternoon massages, Warne left the villa to have some suits tailored at the nearby Briony Tailor. CCTV footage show he arrived back minutes before his first appointment, which took place in his room. 

Local tailor Parsuram Panday (left) was pleasantly surprised when repeat customer Warne arrived unannounced about 1pmHours before his sudden death. Warne placed an order for five blazers, 10 pairs of slacks, five pairs of shorts and another five shirts. Pictured is the receipt 

Sitting on Warne’s bedhead was a packet of Benson and Hedges smokes – his cigarette of choice. The father-of-three carried a travel bag with personal items including Reef tanning oil, a condom, shaving cream, toothpaste, a cap, belt and speaker

Warne’s friend Andrew Neophitou is pictured outside Bophut police station the day after the cricket legend suffered a heart attack in his resort room. Mr Neophitou had performed CPR on Warne for 20 minutes 

Warne, who took 708 Test wickets, was found unresponsive in bed at 5.15pm by his mate Andrew Neophitou who had come to wake him for a manicure and pedicure he had scheduled.

Neophitou applied CPR for 20 minutes before medics took over and Warne was rushed to the Thai International Hospital on Koh Samui, where he was pronounced dead.    

Staff were said to be shocked and frightened by the death on site.

‘It’s never happened before,’ the staffer said.

Within hours, a shrine of flowers, photos and memorabilia had been left at the villa as a makeshift tribute to Warne. Staff were spoken with by senior management who reminded them that discretion is of the utmost importance.

‘There is a rule not to talk about the identities of guests at Samujana,’ the staff member said. 

‘We get lots of famous celebrities – Hollywood stars, princes and even Australia’s influencers. We can’t talk too much about their private business.’

Samujana’s philosophy is to offer state-of-the-art and efficient service for all guests, while guaranteeing discretion.

‘Our Samujana Villas hosts have been handpicked and professionally trained to ensure our guest needs are not only met but exceeded… fast, friendly and efficient service, yet discreet,’ a statement on the resort’s website reads.

The paramedics

Local paramedics were alerted to the unfolding emergency about 5.20pm on Friday. Neophitou was still performing CPR when they arrived, as his other friends shouted ‘come on Shane, come on’ in the background.

Mr Hanaiam and Mr Huadmuang can now reveal the star cricketer and commentator did not have a pulse when they arrived.

‘We still did everything we could,’ Mr Huadmuang said. ‘We performed CPR for 20 minutes trying to bring him back to life.’

Warne was not confirmed dead until he arrived at Samui International Hospital.

CCTV footage taken from within the villa and obtained by Daily Mail Australia shows Warne’s distressed friends hurrying from their own rooms into his after they were alerted he was unconscious.

Minutes later, two of the men came to let in Mr Huadmuang, Mr Hanaiam and the rest of their team.

Masseuse Nok said she arrived at the Samujana Villas resort about 3.15pm and left just after 4pm. She massaged Warne in a room near the pool. Pictured is Warne’s room where friends and paramedics tried desperately to keep him alive

Warne’s friend Andrew Neophitou applied CPR for 20 minutes before medics took over and Warne was rushed to the Thai International Hospital on Koh Samui, where he was pronounced dead. The hospital is pictured

‘One of his friends spoke to us on Mr Warne’s behalf,’ Mr Huadmuang said. 

‘He said he had no sickness, no high blood pressure and no previous heart attacks. It was a mystery illness.’

The resort staff on the scene were all in shock and trying their best to offer help.

Between Warne’s friends and the paramedics, they were able to move his body onto a stretcher to be transported through the villa and into an ambulance.

Footage which Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to publish shows three of Warne’s friends carrying the stretcher along with some first responders. One paramedic continued to perform CPR while they were on the move.

While the medical professionals are trained to respond to traumatic incidents, Mr Huadmuang noted they were all particularly shocked and saddened by the scenes at Koh Samui.

An ambulance carrying Warne’s body is pictured as it prepares to move from Surat Thani Hospital to Suvarnabhumi International Airport before a flight home to Australia

‘Everyone was just in shock,’ he said. 

‘They all wanted to help but there was definitely some panic.’

The paramedics transferred care of Warne to hospital staff and did not learn until the next day that he was a well-known public figure.

On Thursday, Warne’s body was repatriated to Australia ahead of his state funeral on March 30.

Earlier on Thursday morning, Warne’s coffin was draped in an Australian flag as the world’s all-time best leg spin bowler began his final voyage home from Thailand, a journey that began before dawn.

Thai police were seen loading Warne’s casket into the back of a waiting ambulance, ahead of a nine-hour flight by private jet from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also assisted Warne’s family with the return of his body to Australia.

Police investigators are pictured speaking with Warne’s friends after his sudden death at his villa on March 4. A post-mortem examination revealed Warne had suffered a heart attack and there were no suspicious cirumstances 

The aftermath   

Superstitious staff at the luxury resort where Warne tragically died of a heart attack feared his spirit remained in the villa after a ‘creepy’ late night incident.

A staff member at the luxury Samujana villa told Daily Mail Australia a sensor light that detects guests as they walk by had been ‘flickering on and off’ outside the room where Warne spent the final two days of his life.

‘We believe in ghosts and spirits,’ a former employee said.

‘I get goose bumps now even thinking of it again, look,’ she added, pointing to the raised hair on her arms. 

Earlier on Thursday morning, Warne’s coffin was draped in an Australian flag as the world’s all-time best leg spin bowler began his final voyage home from Thailand, a journey that began before dawn. The coffin is pictured at Bangkok’s Police General Hospital 

The woman, who did not want to be named, said staff had been discussing among themselves the possibility that Warne’s spirit had not yet left the villa.

A sensor and motion light outside the villa, which had never played up before, had started mysteriously flickering in the days since Warne was found dead in his room.

‘It is creepy,’ the woman said. ‘We’re a superstitious people but I worry he might still be here.’    

Locals who knew or were fans of Warne think it a great tragedy that he met his end on the island.

‘It’s a beautiful place,’ a local Pakistani tailor who once met Warne on the island and is a big fan said earlier this week.

‘We don’t want it to be remembered for this. He came here to relax and enjoy the beauty.’

Warne will be farewelled in a state funeral at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 30.

Warne will be farewelled in a state funeral at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 30. Tributes to Warne are pictured outside Samujana Villas on March 7