BANGKOK, Sept. 17 (UPI) — As Thai police investigate the murder of two young British tourists on Sairee Beach in Koh Tao island, their investigation appears to be centering on two unnamed British men.
Citing unspecified new forensic evidence, the men are considered “possible suspects” in the murders but have not been formally arrested or detained. They are currently in “police care” in Bangkok and are prohibited from leaving the country.
The U.K. Foreign Office said it was “aware of reports that the Thai police have spoken to British nationals” regarding the murders and that “We stand ready to provide consular assistance if required.”
Thai police have also expressed an interest in the Burmese migrant worker community on the island and released CCTV footage of the victims and a man with an “Asian appearance.”
The naked bodies of 24-year-old David Miller and 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge were found Monday on the rocky beach close to the beach-side bungalows where they had been staying.
According to Thai police, they were killed with a garden hoe that was found bloodied nearby along with their clothes.
The young Brits apparently met during their stay at the same island hotel, said police Maj. Gen. Kiattipong Khawsamang. They were were last seen at a bar together at 1 a.m. Monday based on CCTV footage.
Witheridge’s family said in a statement: “Our family are utterly devastated and shocked by what has happened to our beautiful Hannah. To lose her in the way that we have is beyond comprehension. We are heartbroken and no words can possibly describe how we feel.”
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