Steve ShawPolice are currently investigating the deaths of two young British tourists found dead on a beach in Koh Tao, Thailand on Monday. The pair had suffered serious head injuries.
The bodies of David Miller, 24, from Jersey and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, were found on a beach close to the bungalows where they had been staying. They were naked with deep head wounds. According to The Guardian, Police Colonel Prachum Ruangthong said the male victim had sustained extensive injuries to his head and the woman had injuries to her face. A bloodied garden hoe was found nearby along with their bloodstained clothes.
It is understood the pair travelled separately to Koh Tao and met while staying at the same hotel. Local media reported there had been a beach party on Sunday night that continued into Monday morning. Police are currently looking at a number of suspects and according to the BBC, investigations are currently focussed on the Burmese migrant worker community on the island. Police would also like to speak to a British man who was with the victims on Sunday night but they do not consider him a major suspect.
Investigators are checking CCTV from local bars and appealing for witnesses. Koh Tao’s ferry port has also been blockaded by police in an effort to prevent the killer escaping.
According to the UK foreign office, 11 British nationals have been killed in Thailand since 2009. Attacks are often unprovoked by gangs in Koh Phangan and are particularly common around the time of the Full Moon parties, generally occurring late at night near bars in Haad Rin on Koh Phangan.
Koh Tao is a small island north of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan in the Surat Thani province. It is a popular destination for backpackers and divers with between 400,000 and 500,000 travellers per year.
Tourism in Thailand is still suffering following a coup, which saw the army impose martial law on the country and impose strict curfews. These curfews have been lifted from popular tourist areas in an effort to attract tourists back to the country.