They raped and killed Hannah, and killed David who was attempting to fight them off. The attack happened on the popular small island of Koh Tao, which is known for its diving and lively bars. 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. There is a big change nothing will ever happen, but a wasted tourist is an easy victim. His family has accused police of a cover-up. The high-profile deaths of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014 resulted in the arrest of two Burmese bar workers who were found guilty of their murders and sentenced to death. Note: in all my continuous travels around the world since December 2012, I have never ran into a bad situation. A UK Foreign Office spokeswomen refused to comment on that issue but said consular officers provided support and assistance to the families of Witheridge, 23, from Norfolk, and Miller, 24, from Jersey. May be the significant drop in tourists because of the Corona pandemic in 2020 and 2021 made these taxi drivers charge more sane prices, but I doubt it. 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. That sounds like an obvious thing, but on islands where the atmosphere is so extremely chilled it is a very tempting thing to do. Well if talking about the Koh Tao Mafia here you go. Follow this journey in the link. This idyllic island in Thailand has long been popular with tourists for its pristine beaches, kaleidoscopic coral reefs and turquoise waters. The victims have been named by Thai authorities as 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge from Great Yarmouth,. My gf had been on the island 18 months longer than me and is one of those people who just knows everyone. The crime's brutality amid Koh Tao's insular, backpacker charm caused an international sensation and threatened to further weaken a tourist industry already reeling from the military coup of. 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. David handed over the equivalent of $25-30 for drinks worth no more than $5. They'd start fining people or confiscating bikes in this week to get some extra cash for the holidays. Koh Tao: Murder in Paradise, Channel News Asia documentary With exclusive images, never-before-seen evidence and interviews with key figures on the island, Murder in Paradise sheds new light on a global news story, putting Thailand under the spotlight and asking whether this is still the travel destination from heaven, or hell? On Thursday the 29 th of August 2019, the Supreme Court of Thailand handed down its decision to uphold the death penalties for Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, the Burmese migrant workers found guilty of the rape and murder of British holidaymaker Hannah Witheridge and the murder of fellow countryman David Miller in September 2014 on Koh Tao in Thailand. Dont forget that Thailand is still ruled by a Military regime. Hannah was also revelling in her time staying at Sairee Beach with another group of travelling companions. There was also a photo floating around on WhatsApp that spread across the island like wildfire. Koh Tao has already been struggling with a very bad reputation after the Koh Tao murders in September 2014 when a British couple was killed and left behind on Sairee Beach. Burmese are treated like shit and no one will miss them, easy target so they chose two random guys. Ms Witheridge had been raped. I was never explicitly told to hold back this information but that was the vibe. I will reference it further simply as BAR. 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. But it was in this idyllic setting that their horribly bludgeoned bodies were discovered, their blood seeping into the sand and staining the water. The final theory, is all down to money. Why are government officials going along with this with no/circumstantial evidence at best? It was well known by us who lived on Koh Tao, if you did go to that bar, don't expect change. The population of Koh Tao was around 1300, which did not include the hundreds of Westerners living on the island or the thousands of Burmese, or the hundreds arriving everyday. Christina Annesley, 23, from the UK and born in New Zealand. The photo-shopped picture below is not reflective of anything in the story - rather a hark back to the times . She was found dead in her bungalow with a mix of medication and alcohol in her system in 2015 - leading the coroner to ascertain she died of an accidental overdose. 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. Koh Tao murders has been listed as one of the Social sciences and society good articles under the good article criteria. Laura Daniels, 30, has died five years after sister Hannah, 23, was. Their parents must be going through hell just like we are and we have been for the last almost two years. After checking into the resort, the couple headed down to the pool for a swim while Ratish went for a walk on the beach. Although they say that the last casualty (guy found dead in a hotel pool) was a tragic accident, the odds are against Koh Tao. The Thaiger 116K subscribers Join Subscribe 712 Share 29K views 10 months ago #thailand #kohtao #thailandtourist We've all heard. After 2 big trips around the world in my early travel days, I am now already continuously traveling the world for more than 3,700 days! Hannah, 23, from Hemsby, Norfolk, and David Miller, 24, from Jersey, were found dead on the island of Koh Tao on September 15. Could this have happened on any other island in Thailand as well? Fears over the safety of idyllic Koh Tao were heightened after the killings of Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. Traveling makes me a better person with ever day I am on the road. But although David's family called the verdict 'justice', the trial. For a few weeks/months leading up to the murders, violence was getting worse, but it never happened in Westerner hangouts. The other question is why were they killed. Two Burmese men charged with the murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller went on trial on Wednesday. Most are running guesthouses, eateries and scuba-diving operations or working as diving instructors. I'm also fairly sure that a majority had mafia ties, though this is the one thing me and my friends never spoke about so is pure speculation on my part but makes sense in the context of the murders. The 23-year-old had tweeted this picture on Monday, revealing she was on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand 'I have found an affordable bungalow to move to. She was later identified by dental records and previous x-rays. The next night, Archie and his buddies went out in search of victim number one. Yes I know that drinking and driving is totally accepted in Koh Tao, but try to not be one of those diving class students that show up in the morning all bruised because they fell off their motorbike driving drunk back home. In case you've missed it. They are most likely willing to help out a stranger. Don't get dodgy boat tickets from street vendors. On New Years Day in 2014, he was found floating in a bay beneath a 15m cliff. 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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. When asked why, we'd say, 'you just don't want to end up at BAR' . Get all the info about prices, time tables, company reviews and trip duration through 12Go Asia. On Tuesday, new details emerged as police investigated the death of a wealthy billionaire industrialist and his wife on Ko Tao last Friday. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The story is, they had met at the previous bar and wanted 1 more drink before heading back to a hotel. 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Dont waste time, live now! According to the Daily Mail, the District Attorney publicized the gruesome photos a week after they were presented to a jury. He also had to track down a man seen on surveillance footage leaving his daughter's flat hours before she was discovered. Was everyone on Meth in a mafia? Elise fled 2.5km to through the jungle to Tanote Bay and took a room at the Poseidon Resort where she booked another ticket for Bangkok leaving on April 24. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. My advice is to rent a motorbike with insurance. Cruise staffer fired after shock bathroom act. solve a crime that made global headlines . A blood-stained hoe was found near the bodies and was thought to be the murder weapon. Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, from the UK. In September 2014, the couple were found bludgeoned to death close to where they were staying. You knew who you could trust, you knew who liked to stir up drama etc. Resting in the Gulf of Thailand, a two-hour ferry ride north of Koh Samui, Koh Tao is best known for its incredible marine life, which over the years has attracted a small but buoyant expat. This time Ialso got a change to visit Koh Chang and the Golden Triangle up North. Simple things your parents would tell you too: dont walk along the beach on your own at night. But don't worry I am not here to promote Koh Tao as a tourist destination or telling youisland hopping in Thailandis completely safe. . 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. It was exactly like that for five years. They weren't looked down upon or treated poorly at all. 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 . Be a responsible tourist in the first place. It is not known who released the photos from the crime scene. Now onto the mafia. Her family are suspicious. Police colonel Prachum Ruangthong said: "The man was chopped in the back and on the side of his head, while the woman was chopped in her face. Police officer gives testimony about bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller who were found dead on a beach on Koh Tao island in September 2014. Police chief Apichart Boonsrirote said he assigned teams to check all surveillance cameras around the hostel and on the island to find out where she was last seen, The Phuket News reported. However, according to Rhys Bonney, an immigration adviser to expats in Thailand, the legality of the businesses are an extremely grey area. I love Koh Tao, but these guys are a blot on this tropical paradise. I regret that the pro bono defense team does not have the $5,500 budget necessary to pay for a proper translation into English. 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. Maybe some of the mafia got involved to get them to back off the ladyboy, who is possibly mafia too, add in Meth, violence escalates and now two are dead. Finally, it was an unspoken rule that we never revealed the shit going on the tourists never saw. Scuba diving is the main tourist drag and when the scuba lessons are over the partying starts. People speculated that seeing foreign tourists walk around wearing no clothes all day, having sex on the beach etc pushed them over the edge. Unfortunately a lot of motorbike accidents happen on the island and it sincerely is a Koh Tao safety issue. However it was heavily rumoured they were tortured to get a confession, both psychologically and physically. He had not been questioned by police - even though officers had his name in their files. A short time later, Ratish returned to the resort to find the bodies of his parents floating in the water. They were the boat boys, cleaners, shelf stackers, dish washers etc and were treated horrendously by the Thai population. But remember you are still in Thailand! This news blows up in the UK. RME8CHF9 - Mae Sot, Thailand. Posted on December 5, 2021. Michele claims that Elise used a fake name of "Elise Dubuis" to check into the Triple B Bungalows next to Mae Head Pier on Koh Tao as she travelled via the island on a ferry bound for Chumphon province on her route back to capital Bangkok. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He had no broken bones. They were planning on going back to her hotel to have sex and decided on one more drink. Whether this means they were having sex, making out or anything else I'm not sure. In the back of my mind I had a feeling there might be something wrong. More photos here: Sue White after the attack. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. At one point is was extremely hidden and out of nowhere it was out in the open, if you knew where to look. A number of possible reasons. He said more security cameras would be installed on beaches. The official story is they were walking back to their hotel at night and were jumped by 2 Burmese men. The case has shocked Britain. Take a look at my suggested Thailand island hopping toursor check out which islands to go in Thailandfor your purpose of travel or read here all thethings I miss about Thailand. There are three theories, nobody ever got an answer to which is correct and mostly like it's a combination. Click on the picture to read all about it. We ask that the media treat Hannah with dignity in their reporting of the trial., Please allow the police and the court to do their jobs during the coming weeks and months. Different place, different rules. I have no idea but it's safe to say it was the vast majority. I have now visited Koh Tao over 10 times and I have never had any problem at all! 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. The body of his 55-year-old mother was only found later when rescue services arrived at the scene. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. One of them was at the scene and I went to talk to him. On Koh Tao it meant a man living their life as a woman. Check your Thailand routes below and 12Go Asia tells you all the options (bus, boat, train, flights) including time tables and direct booking options. It just doesn't go away.". According to the Lonely Planet travel guides, Koh Tao welcomes thousands of visitors who "come to worship the turquoise waters offshore". If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it. The Foreign Office said: "We are aware of the death of two British nationals on September 15 on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. Had he hanged himself, the professor pointed out that the bruises should have appeared on the neck than on his wrists. senseless" photos of the crime scene, they say, which show her body . She said: "I would tell them to do everything in their power to stop them going. Burmese migrant workers crossing the Thai-Myanmar friendship bridge in the bordertown Mae Sot, Thailand. You are the tourist, you are visiting their country so YOU should adapt to their standards and not the other way around! When smoking marijuana in Koh Tao be very careful! It mostly always comes down to your own behaviour and therefore I wrote a Thailand travel guide, with everything you need to know. Asking yourself the question is it safe to travel to Thailand, starts with yourself. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Other witnesses to appear will be the doctor who determined the cause of death and a woman who first found the bodies. A cruise employee has had his contract terminated after he was allegedly seen filming women from a female bathroom. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. This island paradise is notorious for the unexplained deaths of people who visit there. L&M brand which were found near the crime scene matched samples . The case has caused Thailands judiciary to be closely scrutinised. 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. I have traveled to Thailand almost 20 times. Especially at night just always stay around other people. Sorry not sorry hostels, but you are. Koh Tao has long had a reputation as a home for organized crime, corruption and as a place where the police protected local interests. In a 2012/13 New Year's Eve party Londoner Stephen Ashton, 22, was killed in a bar on Haad Rin beach on the Thai island of Koh Phangan - a resort where the FCO warns British travellers to beware "vicious, unprovoked attacks by gangs". May you have any additional questions please leave me a comment below and I am happy to help you out with everything you want to know about Koh Tao island. Passport photos of David William Miller, and Hannah Victoria Witheridge, both 24, were placed on this memorial on Koh Tao on Wednesday. In Thailand every business needs to be majority owned by a Thai, usually they owned 51%. I lately traveled to Bangkok and saw marijuana stores everywhere. 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. Besides that, islands are like small communities and they all know each other. Koh Tao Police Major Jiraphob Puridech said the couple had been sitting at the pool bar before hopping into the pool for a swim. Like during all your travels around the world the golden rule is: use common sense and when you feel something is not right then walk away from the situation! It doesn't matter that multiple witnesses can place them in a different location at the time of the murder. 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. 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. I believe a decent chunk of ladyboys had mafia ties. shark tank hamdog net worth SU,F's Musings from the Interweb. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo . Post-mortem examinations showed that the young backpackers, who had met on the island while staying at the same hotel, both suffered head wounds and that Hannah had been raped. 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.". In March 2015, she vanished from her hostel, with her mobile phone, passport and camera left behind. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. I personally think it was a mix or the first 2. The Koh Tao murdersinvolved the death of two British tourists in Thailand in 2014. But remember this only hurts your wallet! So let's look at the facts which I believe to be true. If you can improve it further, please do so. There is a big chance you will fall in love with this little paradise. Questions surround her death. Thailand is very conservative in regards to nudity and sex. Apparently, she's also known as "Verna White". Horrible stories from an island that is well known for its laid-back vibe! Koh Tao was plunged into the spotlight when the semi-naked bodies of backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were found on a beach. She wasn't really friends with them, they were only together due to being friends with someone else who was having a house party. Also, a documentary here: Surviving Evil: Wolves at the Door We of course want to see those responsible for the brutal murder of our precious girl brought to justice., Millers family said: The act which ended Davids life devastated our family and his friends.