I was good friends with a few and they were all restaurant/bar owners. The attack happened on the popular small island of Koh Tao, which is known for its diving and lively bars. The bodies were found 100 metres away from the scene of a beach party, according to a local report.It was believed that attackers may have been waiting to target the pair as they walked off at the end of the party, which was attended by a group of international revellers. They were the boat boys, cleaners, shelf stackers, dish washers etc and were treated horrendously by the Thai population. But behind paradise lies a grubby underbelly where, according to one report, there are "enough suspicious disappearances to warrant the island its own CSI franchise". But among some foreigners, Koh Tao has taken on a more sinister reputation. He said at the time: "We don't know how or why she died. Due to not remembering the name, I will refer to it as BAR. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Blood on the floor of the feedroom where Paul Murdaugh was shot dead. The victims of the attack in Koh Tao have been named as 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge from Great Yarmouth and 24-year-old David Miller from Jersey. I understand that because I am a sporty and fit 1.86 meter (6'1) tall Dutch guy, I might not be the best benchmark for writing an article about how safe it is to travel to Koh Tao. The case has caused Thailands judiciary to be closely scrutinised. His family has accused police of a cover-up. 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. He had not been questioned by police - even though officers had his name in their files. Yes of course! "In view of what's happened to David Miller and Hannah Witheridge and various other people I've read about, it just all leads to the same thing. Something went wrong, please try again later. Members of the mafia admitted to me, my gf and probably numerous others the owner of BAR, also a mafia member, killed them. 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. They accuse Thai police of improperly collecting evidence at the crime scene, intimidation and abuse of witnesses and suspects which the police deny and not sharing key forensic evidence with the defence, a move they say seriously impedes a fair trial. "We're more and more thinking that the police information is not the right explanation.". Killed: Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach in Thailand this morning, Body Found: 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge is from Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, Tragic Loss: David Miller, 24, is from Jersey in the Channel Islands, Island Paradise: Koh Tao island is an increasingly popular tourist destination. We all knew who had done it but the police were dragging their feet. 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.". 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. Thai police said a post-mortem examination showed he drowned. Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, from the UK. This time Ialso got a change to visit Koh Chang and the Golden Triangle up North. They later retracted their confession. The reason you didn't go there was because it was mafia ran and owned. The case has shocked Britain. This appears to be a situation where the accused had been tortured to confess to the crimes, said lead defence lawyer Nakhon Chompuchat said in a statement before the trial started. A young backpacker has become the latest tourist found dead on Thailand's notorious 'death island', Tanote Bay in Koh Tao where a backpacker was found dead on April 27, Sairee beach where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found bludgeoned to death, Chillingly, the death of Elise appears to have been suppressed by Thai authorities, Elise Dallemange, 30, here pictured with mum Michele, had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat, Elise had been travelling around Asia for the last two years, Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered in September 2014, Hannah is pictured (right) with her sister Laura, Luke Miller was found dead in a swimming pool in Koh Tao, Thai police have been accused by his family for not investigating the murder fully, Christina Annesley, 23, died on the island in January 2015, Christina's parents slammed Thai authorities for failing to investigate the death, Nick Pearson's parents are convinced their son was murdered in Koh Tao, Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in March, She had checked into the hostel on February 11 and was due to check out on February 16, Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island. Matthew McConaugheys wife was among the passengers on board a Lufthansa flight struck by severe turbulence and has described the chaos. And its just claimed another two victims. Two migrant workers accused of murdering David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the Thai tourist . I am 100% sure about it. Since then the Samui Times has been inundated with . The teen's body was found seven days after the boating accident. In March 2015, she vanished from her hostel, with her mobile phone, passport and camera left behind. 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. They'd start fining people or confiscating bikes in this week to get some extra cash for the holidays. . Taking into account the multiple eye witnesses saying it, the guys reputation and history and aliases for the Burmese guys it's hard to see any other possibility. My beloved Koh Tao felt it had lost its dignity. Police ruled his death a suicide but couldnt explain why his hands were tied behind his back. They lock them up in a BKK prison and torture them for a confession. The family of New Zealand-born British tourist Christina Annesley, who died on the island in 2015, dont believe polices insistence she died after mixing antibiotics with alcohol. If you caused no trouble, you would have no problems and they didn't seem to have any issues with each other. Could this have happened on any other island in Thailand as well? 09/23/14 AT 10:48 AM BST. Disturbingly, police on the island have said CCTV cameras at luxury Jamahkiri Resort and Spa werent working on the day the couple died, fuelling mystery around what happened to the wealthy pair. The vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of tourists that visit Koh Tao every year never have any issues or whatsoever. It's not like I could do anything but get in the way anyway. 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 . 2 minutes read. But Koh Taos reputation for crime has already earned it global notoriety, with the couples death the latest on a long death toll. She was fun, honest and loved life. No toxicology report was conducted. Michelle, who says the death would have gone unnoticed if not for her public appeal for help, said: "I do not believe what the police have told us. RME8CHF9 - Mae Sot, Thailand. She said: "I would tell them to do everything in their power to stop them going. A big discussion started when I posted a picture on my Facebook Page with the caption that Koh Tao was a peaceful paradise. In case you've missed it. Ratish has told police his father had diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea. So how safe is Koh Tao? If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it. Other than this they had no involvement on the island. Most are running guesthouses, eateries and scuba-diving operations or working as diving instructors. Her bright future was brutally ended, leaving those who loved her broken with no answers. Koh Tao, Thailand | Photo by Valeriy Ryasnyanskiy on Unsplash Some of the deaths which have sparked debate as to whether or not the missing and murder cases were investigated properly, include the death of Dimitri Povse. Especially at night just always stay around other people. They were at the same party together. Maybe a week before, a Thai guy jumped off a 5ish story building whilst on it and died immediately, no tourist knew about this. 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. They eventually pinned it on 2 Burmese guys. Theres no proof because you cant get proof because the authorities are corrupt.. It's pretty common knowledge that torture doesn't get you the truth, it gets you what you want to hear. I will never forget the day I turned 30 and I cheered with friends until early morning 02.00 am on Sairee Beach. My passion to inspire other people to travel the world turned into a lifestyle. With crystal-clear waters, perfect sandy beaches, palm trees and great nightlife. senseless" photos of the crime scene, they say, which show her body . He said autopsies to determine the cause of the deaths were expected in about two weeks. In September 2014, the couple were found bludgeoned to death close to where they were staying. A small thing for you to do, but it can make a big difference for me. The owner of BAR stepped in, fucked up on Meth. Think twice before getting yourself into trouble! Read my complete guide on where to stay in Koh Tao for more tips. In the back of my mind I had a feeling there might be something wrong. The major problems started when Meth became heavily used. For any of you who have been to Koh Tao, it was the bar on the far end of the yellow brick road, past the Go Pro shop in Sairee. Valentina was reported to have been visiting the island to go freediving an activity the area is famed for among backpackers. A short time later, Ratish returned to the resort to find the bodies of his parents floating in the water. There was a bar you avoided due to potential violence occurring. I personally think it was a mix or the first 2. Use common sense and stay out of trouble in the first place! The father of murdered British backpacker Hannah Witheridge has wept as graphic photos of her body lying on a Thai beach were shown in court. However it was heavily rumoured they were tortured to get a confession, both psychologically and physically.