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British tourists murdered in Thailand British tourists murdered in Thailand
(about 7 hours later)
Two British tourists have been found murdered on a beach at a popular island resort in southern Thailand. Two young British tourists who met while backpacking have been murdered after partying on a beach at a popular island resort in southern Thailand, local police said on Monday.
The man and woman were found stripped with several wounds to their bodies near a beachside bungalow on the island of Koh Tao. Police described the woman as 23 and from Great Yarmouth and the man as 24 and from Jersey. David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, were found stripped half-naked with several deep wounds to their bodies near a beachside bungalow on the island of Koh Tao, Thai police said.
The Foreign Office said on Monday it was looking into the deaths: "We are aware of the death of two British nationals on 15 September on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. The embassy is urgently seeking information from the local authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance as needed." A nationwide-manhunt was reportedly underway for a third British backpacker who police suspect of carrying out the attack, before fleeing the island.
Local police official Jakkrapan Kaewkhao told the AFP news agency the pair had been murdered and found naked on a rocky beach on the island in Surat Thani province, which is popular for its diving sites. A local police official told reporters that the pair had been murdered with a garden hoe found nearby on the island, which is popular for its serene beaches and diving sites.
"Their bodies were found 30 metres [100ft] from [the] bungalow," said Jakkrapan, adding that the pair had arrived in Thailand on 25 August. Locals were reported to have blockaded Koh Tao's only pier to prevent the killer escaping. According to the Daily Telegraph, however, local police chief Colonel Songsak said a British man who may have known Miller had left the island.
The victims' clothes and a bloodstained hoe were found nearby. Police said the pair had deep head wounds, believed to have been caused by the hoe. Police Colonel Prachum Ruangthong said the male victim had sustained extensive injuries to his head and the woman to her face. Investigators were checking CCTV from local bars and restaurants, and appealing for witnesses.
Detectives appealed for witnesses as they launched a murder investigation. They were checking CCTV footage at nearby restaurants, hotels and shops for clues. Ruangthong said a bloodied garden hoe used in the "gruesome" attack and bloodstained clothes were found near the bodies..
An employee at the seaside resort where the pair were staying told AFP the bodies were found behind large rocks on the beach. "It was the first time this has happened on the island, I have never seen anything like this," the staff member added, requesting anonymity. Another local police chief said the pair were believed to have travelled separately to Koh Tao, a popular island for backpackers in Surat Thani province, and met while staying at the same budget beachside hotel.
Local media reports said there had been a beach party for about 50 people, mainly tourists, on Sunday night that lasted into Monday morning. CCTV showed that they went to the same bar and left together at 1am early on Monday, said Maj Gen Kiattipong Khawsamang. Local media reports said there had been a beach party for about 50 people, mainly tourists, on Sunday night that continued into Monday morning.
The mountainous island of Koh Tao, which is described on backpackers' websites as "an island of adventure action sports and an island of peace and tranquility", was on lockdown while police launched a manhunt to find the murder suspect. Witheridge is believed to have been travelling with three other friends while Miller is thought to have arrived on the holiday resort island with two others.
Koh Tao is popular with tourists but draws fewer travellers than the neighbouring Koh Phangnan, home to the hedonistic "full moon" party. The double-murder comes a day before the half moon party, a similar event that attracts tens of thousands of revellers each month. Local police official Jakkrapan Kaewkhao said they had arrived in Thailand separately on 25 August. "Their bodies were found 30 metres from the bungalow," he added.
Thailand's lucrative tourism industry has been battered in recent months after a prolonged political crisis ended a coup which saw the army blanket the country with a curfew and strict martial law. An employee at the seaside resort where the pair had been staying told AFP the bodies were found behind large rocks on the beach. "It was the first time this has happened on the island, I have never seen anything like this," the staff member added, requesting anonymity.
Although the curfew was swiftly lifted from key tourist hotspots, visitor numbers are yet to rebound. The Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of two British nationals on 15 September on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. The embassy is urgently seeking information from the local authorities and stands ready to provide consular assistance."
Thailand's military leaders have vowed to clean up the kingdom's tourist resorts after complaints of scams, assaults and even police extortion. The mountainous island of Koh Tao, which is described on tourism websites as "an island of adventure action sports and an island of peace and tranquillity", is popular with tourists but draws fewer travellers than the neighbouring island of Koh Phangan, home to the well-known full moon parties. The double murder came the day before the half moon party, a similar event which attracts tens of thousands of people each month.
Thailand's lucrative tourism industry has been battered in recent months after a prolonged political crisis ended in a coup which saw the army impose a curfew and strict martial law on the country.
Although the curfew was swiftly lifted from tourist hotspots, visitor numbers have not yet rebounded. Thailand's military leaders have promised to clean up the kingdom's tourist resorts after complaints of scams, assaults and even police extortion.