Bodies of foreign tourists found brutally murdered on Koh Tao beach

[sweatalot]

Disgusting that some are concerned with the effect this will have on tourism with no thoughts for the murdered!

No, it's not. It does not mean disrespect to the dead if you care for the living.

Do I need to add that I am moved by what happened and feel sympathy for the victims and their families?

[uptheos]

Very sad news.

RIP guys

[Banzai99]

The violence just keeps escalating along with the lip service. I would never let my daughter travel here with or without friends.

Yet you stay here ?

[96tehtarp]

RIP...

Note to Tourists: Safety First... be aware, it's easy to be murdered here.

[Banzai99]

RIP...

Note to Tourists: Safety First... be aware, it's easy to be murdered here.

No it's not, or else you wouldn't be here along with Thousands of other people who CHOOSE to be in Thailand.

[kinmaew]

The first words from a Thai are "This could seriously affect tourism" what sort of people talk like this?

[Sparkles]

For the first time in my 20 years of being here, I am feeling frightened. Just because I am a foreigner. my whole life is here with my thai family. but trying to figure out now. this country has just become so dangerous for anyone who is not Asian.

We cannot judge over all Thailand with one incident. I live here for 15 years and traveled most part of Thailand and to remote Islands too. I feel majority of Thais welcome and respect foreigners as tourists. Out of 10 million tourists one or two incidents can happen. This is low season, and tourists are less on the beach. One should take extra care. During peak season nothing to worry, because people are not alone. If you are here for 20 years, you could be speaking good Thai by now. They even treat you most respectful compare to new tourists. Probably the most safest place in Asia is Thailand.

Problem is its not one or 2 incidents, its many.Not so long ago we had several people die in a hotel in CM no blame was ever directed at those responsible. Also a GH murder,unsolved.

Foreigners are regularly reported falling off high rise balconies,in fact Thailand must be in the Guinness Book of Records for aerial deaths.

I read somewhere recently that more Brits have died while on holidays in Thailand than any other civilised country. If you were to view a list of murders here over the last few years I think you would agree that its beyond reasonable expectations.Of course not are all committed by Thais, there are lot of low life foreigners living here.

For those who have been her a long time maybe we don't put ourselves in a situation where harm can come to us but this latest tragedy is by no means an isolated event.

[PoorSucker]

Off topic post about crime rate in Honduras removed.

[Boater]

'They were however killed when they attempted to resist the robbery'

So they have a witness ??

but what type of robberies would then rape the victim after killing them?

[Banzai99]

Why isn't this story in the main Thailand News forum ?

[HUAHIN62]

...and also, these have-nots that commit such outrages are not the ones capable of buying the Police. Quite the contrary: One would think that local Mafia have an interest that such things do not happen. Such events hurt business, make them lose money. So the Mafia pressure, if any, would go into the direction of finding and punishing the perpetrators, maybe by exactly the same method that they themselves used on their victims. Crime is what Police is not: Brutally efficient. Let's hope so...

And you assume that its a Thai thats done this. According to Thai reports it was a group of boys that meets a group of girls and decided to have a party. Two ends up dead and one guy in the group ends up with unexplained scratches on him. Lets wait before we pour out the love.

RIP

[SinCityGr8One]

Tragic in so many ways.

Where can you go these days to enjoy yourself without having to deal with predators? Asked rhetorically...

Take a big knife with you when you and your lady go to the beach to chill out.. keep your eyes peeled for ANYONE looking out of place and or approaching you... be prepared to fight for your life...when in doubt attack... hmmmm, great way to spend a relaxing evening on the beach during your vacation.. I think not.

Better to just go to another place that does not have a history of violence... where is that?

xxxxxx... I'm staying home, those places can go under as far as I'm concerned... they are not that spectacular to risk any of this.

As someone else mentioned above... I think farang need to stick together and defend each other in times of need. I really bothers me when I see people just standing by while the lady on the beach gets bullied and sand kicked on her... we are strong in numbers.

There is really no place safe on this Planet. Great idea regarding carrying a knife with you, I always have mine sheathed on me. However, knife fighting is an acquired skill, so practice, practice, practice. Also remember, you don't bring a knife to a gunfight. So, there are limitations. The safest way is be aware of your surroundings, and if someone starts to come at you, attack with everything you have, as you will be probably be fighting for your life. So take "His" keep "Yours"! The Kingdom needs to bring back the Cross-buck and the machine gun for Capital Crimes such as this. Life in prison is not adequate punishment for a crime as horrific as this. R.I.P. to this young couple. Condolences to both of their Families back home.

[Bleacher Bum East]

Oner can almost visualize some of the foreign tourists rushing towards the exits-and rightly so-however Thailand is known for the place to party and for its liberal environment with youngsters, which policy does clash with many local Buddhists etcansd muslims as well),so one may say does Thailand really need the foreign dollars that badly that it can risk corrupting its own children,which of course have been brought down to the hedonistic level of the foreigners by the forced association and the bad example the foreigners(kinnok)set ,and therefore completely ruining whatever culture was here.??Did Thailand really have a drug problem before these deadheads from the west began introducing all things evil,and now we are seeing the result.Just sayin.I have been here over ten years and I can scarcely believe how the local youth have been changed and degraded in that short period of time from what I experienced when first arriving.Cheers.

Rubbish on every level.... Asia has been well aware of every "vice" known to man for centuries.

I know this tiny island very well, my useless speculation is that the perps were laborers (hoe found at scene) from Myanmar (Burmese outnumber Thais on the island) possibly drunk and or tweeking on meth. Everyone knows everyone else so if they were able to stop the first boats out in the morning they will be found soon, if not, maybe on KP, Samui or at Chumpon border crossing...

I agree that speculation is useless for the most part, but it helps set the parameters for what the police should be looking for--and they often seem not even to consider likely scenarios. The one you have posed is a strong possibility and one they will probably first consider--that a "foreigner" is responsible i.e. a Burmese or Cambodian, or at least a transient Thai.

But I think another possible scenario should at least be considered: That the couple went off to find a secluded spot for some adventurous on the beach lovemaking, some local spotted them and--the local possibly being wild drunk or tweeked on meth as you say--took high offense and attacked them. It could have been a case of pent up local anger at "farangs" finding a drunken and heinous channel to unveil itself.

In that respect and in order to be fair, it could also have been a jealous boyfriend or girlfriend of any nationality who caught them in the act.

Before the trolls trounce: Yes, this is pure speculation. But the facts if you look at them seem to make it a likely scenario. And airing these scenarios may put pressure on police to consider them.

My deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, and extreme sadness that these events seem to be more and more common in Thailand.

[Duggsie]

There appears to be an undercurrent of racism seeping throughout much of this awful Thread.

Many respondents are disparaging towards the Thai nationals who the “presume” to be guilty of these horrific crimes (more than one crime having occurred). Assumptions, without evidence, having already been made as to the race of the guilty party(s).

I am almost hoping, from a selfish perspective, that the perpetrator was a fellow caucasian under the influence of whatever mind-altering substance many of our Western “kids” indulge in, whilst in LOS.

Better that than another premeditated and callous act on the part of yet another “evil” Thai or Thais - with whom I hope to share my Autumn years, in the not too distant future. Further, my own twenty-something daughter and my own twenty-something son already have their rooms booked on this very island for a few weeks time so better this is an abberation than what appears to becoming a pattern of the "normality" of risks for tourists in what is increasingly difficult to refer to as "The Land of Smiles" anymore

My most sincere condolences and thoughts go out to the loved ones of these victims and my unbearable regret that they have been denied their right to what is ordinarily considered a full lifetime.

As an edit:

Racism is almost invariably a two-way-street and I, for one, would like to see the term "Farang" (which is a disparaging descrition of a "foreigner" which is used and even encouraged to be used by Thai children from the moment they begin uttering their first words) be made to be as intollerable and unacceptable as is the "N" word in much of Western culture, these days (but I ain't holding my breath)

[monk213]

Tragic in so many ways.

Where can you go these days to enjoy yourself without having to deal with predators? Asked rhetorically...

Take a big knife with you when you and your lady go to the beach to chill out.. keep your eyes peeled for ANYONE looking out of place and or approaching you... be prepared to fight for your life...when in doubt attack... hmmmm, great way to spend a relaxing evening on the beach during your vacation.. I think not.

Better to just go to another place that does not have a history of violence... where is that?

xxxxxx... I'm staying home, those places can go under as far as I'm concerned... they are not that spectacular to risk any of this.

As someone else mentioned above... I think farang need to stick together and defend each other in times of need. I really bothers me when I see people just standing by while the lady on the beach gets bullied and sand kicked on her... we are strong in numbers.

There is really no place safe on this Planet. Great idea regarding carrying a knife with you, I always have mine sheathed on me. However, knife fighting is an acquired skill, so practice, practice, practice. Also remember, you don't bring a knife to a gunfight. So, there are limitations. The safest way is be aware of your surroundings, and if someone starts to come at you, attack with everything you have, as you will be probably be fighting for your life. So take "His" keep "Yours"! The Kingdom needs to bring back the Cross-buck and the machine gun for Capital Crimes such as this. Life in prison is not adequate punishment for a crime as horrific as this. R.I.P. to this young couple. Condolences to both of their Families back home.

You do realise that if you get caught carrying a knife you are facing some seriously grilling and trouble, furthermore if you get attacked and react by stabbing someone try explaining that to the police and walking out a free man. I have several knives and machetes, but I wouldn't carry them around with me in fear of being attacked. That is pure folly.

[max72]

I remember a similar case few years ago in Koh Samui. The 3-4 Thai guys were than arrested and the cops had to save them from the people who wanted to lynch them.RIP to these unfortunate young couple and my condolences to their families. It is a big tragedy , I hope justice will be done and those barbarians will be arrested.

[peecee]

I cannot believe it

I can, happens all to often in LOS. RIP Kids.

[ukrules]

Sky news UK reporting that they were British tourists. No other details at the moment.

Why is it that us Brits seem to often be the ones at the end of these articles and situations? I assume in this situation they had no fault to play in their demise either. RIP, lets hope the culprit is caught and hasn't fled somehow.

A lot of British tourists come to Thailand. This is going to be massive news in the UK.

How many active serial killers are there in Thailand I wonder ?

[Felt 35]

Why isn't this story in the main Thailand News forum ?

...under the discretion of TAT......

[brubakertx]

R.I.P.

[Treborz]

Reports now suggest the guy was from jersey, Channel Islands. That's not to say he isn't Irish and living there.

Hits a bit closer to home now as I'm from guernsey

[oldsailor35]

Probably too late, they wil be well on the way to Bangkok by now, if they have' already arrived.

[hullupullo]

Reports now suggest the guy was from jersey, Channel Islands. That's not to say he isn't Irish and living there.

Hits a bit closer to home now as I'm from guernsey

Thai media already had names and pictures of both passports.

[lvr181]

this is terrible !! , and a real set back for the Island , RIP to the individuals

Lets just hope the police don't collar to random fisherman for the crime, and hunt down the real suspects

RIP and condolences to family and friends.

O.T. Hey Boater, only one Golden Rule (not three)

He who has the gold, rules!

[oldsailor35]

If they are unidentified, how do they know they were both 24 years old?

One Irish and one English.

Arrived 25th Aug.

Only 100 metres from the bungalow

Should'nt be too hard to find ages with this information to follow .

[Gandtee]

I think it is about time now to think about some "self-protection squad" or another among expats. This cannot go on. Places are littered with dead and mutilated tourists. Resort by day, Amityville at night.

Oh come on! If your statement isn't panic mongering I don't know what is. You will be suggesting that all foreigners carry guns next.

[Badbanker]

Koh Tao is an area controlled by its own mafia in cahoots with the local constabulary.

The foreign embassies have had a number of cases of people getting lost in a drug enhanced miasma/haze that is the cause of a number of problems.

I do hope the NCPO get into this one and cleans up things a lot.

[PS2]

Why all the Thai bashing.

Just as probable they went away for some private time (both naked) and was attacked by jealous party guest.

[Escapologist]

There appears to be an undercurrent of racism seeping throughout much of this awful Thread.

Many respondents are disparaging towards the Thai nationals who the “presume” to be guilty of these horrific crimes (more than one crime having occurred). Assumptions, without evidence, having already been made as to the race of the guilty party(s).

I am almost hoping, from a selfish perspective, that the perpetrator was a fellow caucasian under the influence of whatever mind-altering substance many of our Western “kids” indulge in, whilst in LOS.

Better that than another premeditated and callous act on the part of yet another “evil” Thai or Thais - with whom I hope to share my Autumn years, in the not too distant future. Further, my own twenty-something daughter and my own twenty-something son already have their rooms booked on this very island for a few weeks time so better this is an abberation than what appears to becoming a pattern of the "normality" of risks for tourists in what is increasingly difficult to refer to as "The Land of Smiles" anymore

My most sincere condolences and thoughts go out to the loved ones of these victims and my unbearable regret that they have been denied their right to what is ordinarily considered a full lifetime.

As an edit:

Racism is almost invariably a two-way-street and I, for one, would like to see the term "Farang" (which is a disparaging descrition of a "foreigner" which is used and even encouraged to be used by Thai children from the moment they begin uttering their first words) be made to be as intollerable and unacceptable as is the "N" word in much of Western culture, these days (but I ain't holding my breath)

There is an undercurrent of suspicion which is either justified by historical precedent or is not. Issues such as Thai "racism" (your word) towards "farang", a consistent history of Thai-on-tourist murder, and a consistent history of seeming Thai police cover-ups all combine to fuel such suspicion. We shall have wait and see how this case unfolds. Being a subhuman "racist" I will bet on the perpetrator being local. I can see how learning to shuffle the truth under the carpet is good preparation for living in LOS though. Good luck and pray that you are not on the list of the fallen.

[96tehtarp]

RIP...

Note to Tourists: Safety First... be aware, it's easy to be murdered here.

No it's not, or else you wouldn't be here along with Thousands of other people who CHOOSE to be in Thailand.

Yes it is. It's really easy to get killed, die, or be murdered in Thailand, and much easier than in most counties where foreigners who choose to live here come from. I've been here long enough and seen enough o know that. Tourists forget this while on holiday.