Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act. From then on Ko Tao was nicknamed the murder island or the Death Island. But please dont get scared! Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. These are the first pictures of the British tourists murdered on a paradise beach in Thailand. The Murders The two people killed were Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. British holidaymaker Christina Annesley, 23, died on the island in January 2015 after apparently mixing antibiotics she was taking for a chest infection with alcohol. Burmese are treated like shit and no one will miss them, easy target so they chose two random guys. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Buying a Sim Card for Dominican Republic in 2023, Buying a Sim Card at Bogota Airport in 2023, Buying a Sim Card at Lisbon Airport in 2023, Four Seasons Amman | Luxury Experience in an Amazing City, Affordable Villa Mira Apartment near Rainbow Street Amman, best scuba diving destinations in the world, search engine for Thailand transportation, Buying a Thailand Sim Card at Bangkok Airport in 2023, 25 Best Street Food Dishes in Thailand (+printable checklist), 68 Interesting & Funny Thailand and Bangkok Facts. The two people killed were Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. In a statement following his hearing, James Gissing, who was in Thailand with Luke, said he felt police were covering up as it was the death of another foreigner on Koh Tao, referring to the Witheridge and Miller murders. On Tuesday, new details emerged as police investigated the death of a wealthy billionaire industrialist and his wife on Ko Tao last Friday. Due to how tiny the island is, and the population of people who Westerners would interact with, maybe 1000 people, you formed relationships very quickly. There is a big chance you will fall in love with this little paradise. In January 2016, he was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach. Metropolitan police detectives were sent to Thailand in 2014 to look over the case and report back to officials and the families. For the around 10k people on the island a day, there were 3 police officers who only appeared around holidays. Buying your tickets for boats, trains, flights and busses is the safest and most reliable online. First off let me tell you that if you think Thailand is dangerous for tourists, you are wrong! But Elise had disappeared. Burmese migrant workers crossing the Thai-Myanmar friendship bridge in the bordertown Mae Sot, Thailand. Follow this journey in the link. On the 29th of August 2019 the Thai supreme court upheld the death sentence for the two Burmese men who allegedly are guilty for the Koh Tao Murders which happened on my birthday September 15th in 2014. Island life is all about flip-flops, bathing suits and funny t-shirts, life is at low pace and many tourists smoke weed. Think twice before getting yourself into trouble! This story was huge at the time in the UK as they were both British. "The embassy are urgently seeking information from the local authorities and consular staff stand ready to provide assistance to friends and family at this tragic time.". The couple arrived on the island for a holiday on Friday along with their son Ratish, 34, the Bangkok Postreported. The 2 Burmese guys confessed to the crime and have been given the death penalty. They will also look at any health conditions that might have been a factor. If there really is no other solution just ask the help of an other random group of tourists. Any free moment I'm dying to talk to one of my friends to find out if they heard what happened. At one point is was extremely hidden and out of nowhere it was out in the open, if you knew where to look. That DNA should by all rights be either that of the real murderers or someone who has messed up the crime scene, which, Dr. Porntip said, was what happened. The 29-year-old Frenchman was found on January 1, 2015, hanging from his balcony ceiling. Koh Tao murders: suspects in killing of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge say they were framed. Andy Hall, a migrants rights activist from Britain who is working for the defence, told the Guardian outside the court: Recently in the last few weeks weve got some significant information from the UK side and its raises a lot of very important inconsistencies between the Thai evidence and the the evidence from the UK. He did not give details on what evidence UK authorities had provided. Now onto the mafia. If you would like to be prepared for your trip to Thailand then have a look at my guide telling you everything you need to know when you travel to Thailand: visas, safety issues, scams, the culture, things to do and things NOT to do, the best national parks, about the street food, the travel adapter you need, the vaccinations and many more things. On 15 September, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on Sairee Beach on the island of Koh Tao, between 4 and 5 am, a few hours after their deaths. "They may be feeling guilty for the crime they have done." The two Burmese men, identified as Saw and Win, were arrested last week and accused of killing David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, on the island of Koh Tao on 15 September. The Burmese men initially admitted to the murder of Miller, who suffered head injuries and drowned in shallow water, and the rape and murder of Witheridge, who died from severe head injuries. And the pain felt by many of their loved ones has been made worse by suspicions of cover-ups in investigating their deaths and disappearances, and that powerful mafia families have tightened their grip on the island. But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. Koh Tao Police Major Jiraphob Puridech said the couple had been sitting at the pool bar before hopping into the pool for a swim. Koh Tao looks like a paradise, but it's known among Brits as 'death island' Credit: Alamy In a new Sky documentary, Death On The Beach, families open up on how they believe Thai police covered up . The official story is they were walking back to their hotel at night and were jumped by 2 Burmese men. But trust me if you travel to Koh Tao you dont get involved with daily politics on the island! The men, apprehended soon after the pair's bodies were found, initially confessed to the crime only to retract their statements amid claims they were extracted by torture. There were at that time a lot of rumors going around but no one really knows what happened. One of the first famous crime scene photos was taken on May 5, 1903, in the home of a Parisian woman named Madame Debeinche who had been murdered. Police Lieutenant Jakkapan Kaewkao, the second police officer at the scene, said he found David Miller face down in the surf and Hannah Witheridge 12 metres away on the beach. Besides that, islands are like small communities and they all know each other. This article is of interest to the following WikiProjects : This page is a joke. The police took the Burmese guys to Bangkok and they eventually confessed. UPDATE: Attempted murder by Thai diving instructor, Santi Khokpool in the Fishbowl Beach Bar, Koh Tao on 28-year-old British tourist on 15 August 2020. Yes, that is more than 10 years of moving around the globe, not staying in one place longer than 2-3 weeks mostly! This is one of the crime scene photos from the attack on Sue White by Gerald Arthur Lee on 11/05/06 in Cherokee County, GA. Need any advice on where to stay in Koh Tao then let me help you book a place on the right side of the island. This island paradise is notorious for the unexplained deaths of people who visit there. solve a crime that made global headlines . Was everyone on Meth in a mafia? Will Koh Tao ever be able to get rid of that negative image? Don't get dodgy boat tickets from street vendors. After living through it for months, I think this conclusion, which was agreed on by many on the island at the time, is the closest to the truth that will ever appear. and stay away from fighting with locals. Be a responsible tourist in the first place. Ive never been happier than here, David, a 24-year-old on holiday with friends, told relatives in Jersey in what was to be his last phone call home. It mostly always comes down to your own behaviour and therefore I wrote a Thailand travel guide, with everything you need to know. The 25-year-old's mum Tracey told a documentary about the island she would warn parents not to allow their children to travel to the island. Having lived on the island for a fair few years at this point, the mafia knew who I was. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Dubbed 'Death Island', the illusion of a safe haven has since shattered following the brutal deaths of a number of tourists. A common Koh Tao scam occurs with renting motorbikes. These are the first pictures of the British tourists murdered on a paradise beach in Thailand. I had no issues with them, they had none with me, but a few of the individuals were friendly enough. Around 10k people on the island with only 3 corrupt police officers. In January 2015, she was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics with alcohol. Loads of beach bars to choose from and happy hours to get you started. It's pretty common knowledge that torture doesn't get you the truth, it gets you what you want to hear. Even people you didn't know well, you would know what their reputation was. A Scottish man is being kept in protective custody in Thailand after a photo he took . The Davidson County Sheriff's Office has released photos of the Corbett home taken the night Jason Corbett was bludgeoned to death in his bedroom. The story is, they had met at the previous bar and wanted 1 more drink before heading back to a hotel. Thai police say the man on the left matches the one seen acting suspiciously on CCTV. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope He called for help from staff but his parents were both dead when their bodies were pulled from the water. Three judges sat high above the small court room on Koh Samui, a larger island near Koh Tao, where witnesses will testify over the next three days. The photo-shopped picture below is not reflective of anything in the story - rather a hark back to the times . I have no idea but it's safe to say it was the vast majority. The second theory is they were giving abuse to the ladyboys in BAR. Fire show boys were named notorious, however I never ran into anyone that this actually happened to. Weve all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. A small thing for you to do, but it can make a big difference for me. And its just claimed another two victims. I love Koh Tao, but these guys are a blot on this tropical paradise. Respect the Thai people! Maybe it's because we didn't want to ruin the image our home had of a paradise island, or maybe it was an unsaid threat, I don't know. Flights are faster, but more expensive, trains more comfortable than busses, but overnight, etc, etc. My mind boggles when you order a taxi ride that takes about 10 minutes and they charge you $20. Have you ever watched Big Brother and after a week, people are acting like best mates and saying I love you to people? They were also asked to recreate the murders, but according to sources on Koh Tao, were unable to do so. Apparently, she's also known as "Verna White". The next night, Archie and his buddies went out in search of victim number one. Burmese people were treated like shit by the Thai. They walked together into the court on Wednesday shortly after it started, escorted by British consular officials and sat a few metres from the defendants. The FCO says such attacks are particularly common around the time of Full Moon parties and generally occur late at night near bars in Haad Rin. Get all the info about prices, time tables, company reviews and trip duration through 12Go Asia. Koh Tao Murders March 28, 2022 courtneyjfretwell Uncategorized 1 Comment In September 2014, two European backpackers, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found murdered on Sairee Beach on Thailand's island of Koh Tao. Could this have happened on any other island in Thailand as well? I know these people. The final theory, is all down to money. The brutality of the killings made headlines worldwide and cast a shadow across Thailands image as a safe and carefree destination for 20 million foreign visitors a year. Rumours go that a couple very influential families, kind of like Koh Tao Mafia style, rule the island. He had no broken bones. After visiting 100 countries by the end of 2019 I felt inspired to visit every country in the world. These Thai people might seem like little boys to you but they could be ferocious fighters, be careful! In the meantime, investigators have been piecing together the couples final moments before the tragedy. I don't remember exactly the time as it varied constantly between 5 and 9am, but I'm fairly sure it was closer to 5am. In the court, a supermarket trolley held other pieces of evidence, including a guitar wrapped in plastic and said to be owned by the defendants and rolls of paper. Revealed on Thursday, Elise Dallemange, 30, was found dead in the jungle on the island in April, having been half-eaten by lizards, eight days after she said she was leaving to return to her native home in Belgium. Especially at night just always stay around other people. The CCTV in the area had not been working for several months due to lack of maintenance but officers are now collecting evidence from the cameras installed in other parts of the hotel, he said.