The International Relations Department has confirmed a South African woman has died in a Thai prison hospital.
The woman, who was caught as an alleged drug mule, passed away after a long illness last week.
The department said it received news about her passing just a few days ago.
The woman, who cannot be named because her family have not been formally notified about her death, is believed to have spent the last two years in the Klong Prem Central prison in Bangkok.
She was admitted to the prison hospital after suffering severe fever and headaches over a long period.
It’s thought she may have contracted tuberculosis.
Meanwhile, international relations officials apparently struggled to track down her relatives.