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Images showing the final moments of the Thai bar girl who fell to her death from a balcony while allegedly having 'extravagant sex' with a former British Army soldier have emerged.

Waitress Wannipa Janhuathon, 26, had been working at a bar in high-risk holiday resort Pattaya, Thailand, for several months while helping to support her family who live in the country's northeast.

She was found dead at 5.30am on Saturday morning after falling from a fifth floor balcony while allegedly having 'extravagant' sex with former British Army soldier Reece Vella, 25, from Birmingham.

Heart-breaking pictures show Wannipa just weeks before plunging to her death - shopping, posing in make-up and fooling around with friends. 

Devastated friends led tributes to petite Wannipa - nicknamed Joy - as chilling CCTV emerged of her final moments - walking next to Vella, towering over her tiny frame after paying around 1,500 baht (£34) to have sex with her for the night. 

Wannipa, in black shorts and white top, is seen standing, bent forward slightly, in a lift looking up at the number display as Vella. wearing a black shirt, army pattern shorts and trainers, stands behind her.

Hours later she was dead, having suffered severe head injuries after falling alongside a packet of sex drugs while Vella fled on a motorbike allegedly with her phone.

It has also emerged that Vella is claimed to have been jailed for nearly five years in 2012 after he admitted raping a teenage girl in Worcester.

Police are still investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the fall, with Vella - who had been staying illegally in the country on an expired visa - facing up to ten years in prison or a fine of 200,000 baht (£4,580) on a charge of causing death by negligent or reckless behaviour. 

Police claim that the reckless and negligent behaviour was the sex on the balcony that directly caused her death.

Officers also claim that Vella had used a motorbike as a getaway vehicle having fled the room in panic and that he had been staying in the country illegally for 59 days after his visa had expired.

He was arrested on Sunday afternoon at 4pm at a nearby bar and admitted having sex with with Wannipa in the bedroom and on the balcony. But Vella denies that he was having sex on the balcony when the girl fell.

A police source close to the investigation said today: 'The area that's being investigated more is what happened that caused Wannipa to fall.

'Was she alone or was she having sex at that moment. We think that this kinky sex on the balcony caused her to fall. This is what we are trying to build the evidence to prove. The suspect then ran away.'

As officers continued to question Vella today while gathering evidence, heartbroken friends paid tribute to Joy who was 'the sweetest angel who was always smiling'.

Video of Wannipa shows her playfully dancing, hiding in the supermarket and pouting as she puts on make-up. While at work with friends she poses in Halloween costume and cheekily slaps her friend's bottom while they go out shopping together.

Best friend Tmod Om, 18, said: 'Joy was my best friend. We had so many good times together. So many memories. She was so happy, so lovely, such a beautiful, fun, person.

'It hurts so much. I miss her so badly. I just can't accept it and I want her back so much. I wish that right now she can know how much we love her and miss her.'

Gaz Hart, boss of the Sky Bar on the city's Soi 6, said all the staff had been devastated by the loss as Wannipa 'was part of the family'.

He said: 'I keep trying to remember this happy girl. Her smile and attitude always made me happy even when I "yak yakked" at her.

'I just couldnt be angry with her even when I wanted to be. I had to try my best not to laugh and be serious but she could see I was holding my smile back so hard and it made her laugh more.

'My last memory of her is her running over to me laughing, giving me one of the 20 big Joy hugs she gave me every day and yelling "Gazzzzzzz what youuuu doooooo!"

'And showing me a picture of her I posted that she didn't like while laughing her head off. Myself and the Sky Bar family will truly miss her. And it wont be the same without her here.

'I cant imagine how her family are feeling right now. A beautiful happy young girl's life taken too soon.'        

 Reece's family, meanwhile, said they were 'extremely upset' following his arrest in Thailand, saying he had left Britain months earlier after suffering from PTSD. 

The family were concerned for his health, revealing the 25-year-old had not had anything to eat or drink since he was taken into custody.

The former soldier, who followed his two older brothers into the military, quit the army after suffering from PTSD.   

Vella served as a private in the Royal Logistics Corps, headquartered at Deepcut Barracks in Surrey, until he left nearly five years ago.  During his service, his brother Andrayoss claimed he was one of the top 100 shots in the British Army.

His brother said after leaving the army, he suffered with depression and 'fell into the wrong crowd', serving a stint in prison.

Read more on dailymail.co.uk.