The curse of 'Death Island': How Thai holiday paradise of Koh Tao became a ... trends now

Once a sunny Thai paradise island, Koh Tao quickly became a nightmarish hub of murder and rape after two Brit backpackers were bludgeoned to death almost a decade ago.

Over the past 10 years, Koh Tao has taken a more sinister reputation among some foreigners, with at least 11 Western tourists having died or disappeared there under mysterious circumstances since 2014.

Following the spate of horrific incidents, the tropical holiday hotspot was given the nicknames 'Death Island' or 'Murder Island'.

Local authorities have consistently explained the deaths as unfortunate accidents or suicides, however, many cases appear suspicious to family members of the deceased and missing, and are often left insufficiently investigated.

It has long had a reputation as a haven for organised crime and corruption, where a 'corrupt' police force prioritises protecting local interests.

But beneath the palm tree paradise lies a grubby underbelly where fears over the safety of the island continue to rise.  

As recently as December last year, a 24-year-old German backpacker was raped by a tour guide on a deserted beach and warned 'it isn't safe for women to travel alone in that country'.

Following the spate of suspicious crimes, many have been left wondering just what is at play on the island and how visitors keep winding up in horrific - and often deadly - situations.

Hannah Witheridge and David Miller - September 2014

In what is considered the most high-profile murder case on Koh Tao, and in the case that gave the island its notorious nickname, two Brits were brutally murdered while backpacking.

The semi-naked bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were discovered between 5am and 6am on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao on September 15, 2014.

Miller was a Jersey based civil engineer and structural engineering graduate, while Witheridge was a student from the University of Essex. 

It was revealed the pair were bludgeoned to death with a wooden hoe as they walked back to their hotel room late at night.

It would also come to light that Witheridge was raped in the brutal attack. 

A British male, thought to have known the pair, was named as a person of interest and hunted by island police after allegedly fleeing the island on an early ferry for Bangkok on the day of the attacks.

Later, police released CCTV footage which they claimed showed the students walking hand-in-hand down a street - but it was soon revealed the couple in the images were not Witheridge and Miller.

Images of a migrant worker spotted later on the same CCTV tape were then circulated, with police describing the man as a new person of interest.

The following day DNA samples taken from the scene did not match those of any of a reported 12 suspects.

Officers claimed they had 'strong evidence' to link six Burmese workers to the gruesome murders, though no forensic links could be made.

Samples were then taken from nine migrant workers and three foreigners including two brothers from Jersey who were friends of Miller.

Christopher and James Ware were stopped at Suvarnabhumi International airport on their way back to Britain for questioning - the brothers were never arrested.

Thai police admitted they had 'no idea' who killed Miller and Witheridge after failing to link any of 12 suspects to the crime.

They said it was 'difficult to say' whether the pair's killer or killers was still on the island, and then claimed investigations had pointed them to a group seen on the beach playing the guitar and singing 'western songs'.

The Thai Prime Minister then made a controversial comment, saying girls wearing bikinis on the holiday island of Koh Tao were not safe unless they were ugly.

'Can they be safe in bikinis... unless they are not beautiful?' said General Prayuth Chan-O-Cha in a televised speech.

He later apologised for his remarks.

Police later said Witheridge may not have been raped as first suggested following an autopsy on her body.

Police claimed DNA from two men alongside that of Witheridge has been discovered on a cigarette butt 50 yards from where the 23-year-old's body was found.

It was then revealed the traces of at least one man's DNA has been found on Witheridge's body.

Later it transpired there was also evidence of one man's DNA on the cigarette, and of two men in the victim's body.

It was suggested Miller was killed with a blunt piece of metal and not the rusty garden hoe first discovered at the scene and named as a murder weapon.

Evidence suggested the brave 24-year-old put up a fight before his death and that he was drowned as a consequence for his heroic actions.

The following month, two Burmese men, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 21, were charged with three offences - conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and robbery - in connection with the deaths of Miller and Witheridge.

Then in December 2014, the suspects were each indicted on five charges: premeditated murder, killing to conceal a criminal offence, rape, illegal entry into Thailand, and staying in the country without permission.

Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both now 29, were originally sentenced to death for the murder of Miller and the murder and rape of Witheridge but a Thai royal decree changed their sentences to life in prison.

On April 2, 2024, both men demanded a review of the case as they plead their innocence.

They claim they were forced into making a confession and accused detectives of carrying out a 'botched' investigation, The Mirror reported.

Hans Peter Suter - November 2014

Ten days after he went missing from Sairee Beach on Koh Tao, the body of Swiss tourist Hans Peter Suter, 44, was washed ashore at Talay Ngam beach in Lang Suan district of Chumphon province.

After authorities found his body, they declared he had been dead for around 10 days after he left to go snorkelling alone on November 8. 

Police said the tourist 'had just completed a divemaster scuba course' before he died, but three days before he went missing he was told not to swim because it could lead to blindness, according to a report by the Chiangrai Times.

But his family and friends were left unconvinced at the police's conclusion that he drowned, as Suter was known for being a strong swimmer and regular snorkeler.

Thai police then reported Suter was 'under stress' and 'did not have any money', leading his loved ones to develop more questions around his mystery death as the divemaster scuba course costs around £750.

Nick Pearson - December 2014

The 25-year-old Nick Pearson, from Derby, was found floating dead in the sea off Koh Tao after visiting the island on a family holiday, just two months after Witheridge and Miller were found murdered.

His parents believe he may have been followed back to his holiday bungalow and killed - and were convinced that police in Thailand covered up the murder to protect tourism.

Cops claimed Pearson fell 50ft and drowned.

But despite claims of a fall, he had no broken bones. While police ruled out foul play, Nick's family said officers did not investigate a single witness.

Pearson's mother Tracy Pearson, told Derby and South Derbyshire Coroner's Court she had 'a gut feeling there was foul play', especially in light of what had happened earlier in the year.

Pathologist Dr Michael Biggs told the hearing that there were many injuries on Pearson's body, including to the head, limbs and face.

But, he said that most of these would have been present prior to his death - although he could not completely rule out the possibility that he had been attacked.

The coroner Ms Pinder concluded there was not enough evidence to say where or how he met his death.

Christina Annesley - January 2015

Christina Annesley, 23, from Orpington, South London, was part-way through a four-month trip across south-east Asia when she died on the island.

Just days before her sudden death, the prolific tweeter told her 3,500 followers followers about requiring antibiotics for a lung infection.

She tweeted: 'Great, just as I finally make friends I have to shell out £60 for antibiotics and now can't afford to go out with them. F*** everything.'

Annesley died of a suspected accidental overdose after mixing her antibiotics with alcohol - but her father Boyne said at the time that a toxicology report was not carried out.

He said: 'We don't know how or why she died. She had medication for a chest infection and was drinking, but the Thai police failed to investigate if the combination was sufficient to kill her'.

Delays by the Thai authorities in finding Christina's body and glaring gaps in the investigation into her death left her parents with no choice but to take matters into their own hands. 

In an attempt to get answers surrounding his young daughter's death, Christina's father was forced personally track down a man seen on surveillance footage leaving his daughter's flat just hours before she was discovered.

He had not been questioned by police - even though officers had his name in their files.

The devastated dad added: 'Why they couldn't contact him to eliminate him, to me, beggars belief. 

'We found him on Facebook and were able to get a phone number, so I rang and spoke to him. Obviously speaking to the last man to see our daughter alive was a bit emotional.

'We would have liked to have been the last people to see her alive. But on talking to him, he seemed quite straightforward.'

A 2022 Sky Crime documentary - Death on the Beach - explored Christina's death.

Her father revealed that following the autopsy in Thailand, once her body was returned to the UK, the coroner was unable to determine a cause of death and wouldn't accept the Thai results.

He said her body was 'not in a good state because of incompetence or deliberate mishandling' and her family still suspected her death was suspicious.

Dmitri Povse - January 2015

Frenchman Dmitri Povse, 29, was found hanging from a ceiling at the balcony of his room at Ta Chin Bungalow on Koh Tao at during the beginning of January.

Police ruled his death a suicide - despite being discovered with his hands loosely tied behind his back.

Cops also stated that there were no apparent signs of a fight or struggle and that a suicide note was found on his bed that said in French: 'Iris, I love you. Suicide seems easy but it

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