He was unaware he was arguing with members of the mafia who are all on Meth and got violent with them. Elise's heartbroken mother, Michele van Egten, has now proclaimed she does not believe police account of events. They eventually pinned it on 2 Burmese guys. Had he hanged himself, the professor pointed out that the bruises should have appeared on the neck than on his wrists. Ratish has told police his father had diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea. There are amazing hiking trails and viewpoints in Koh Tao, it is one of best scuba diving destinations in the worldand there are many more othercool things to do in Koh Tao. 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. 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. 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. I know this because one of my closest friends, and my neighbour was with them when the murders happened. A blood-stained hoe was found near the bodies and was thought to be the murder weapon. 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. The murders on the popular dive island of Koh Tao drew intense media attention from across the world. "We're more and more thinking that the police information is not the right explanation.". Apparently, she's also known as "Verna White". Adventurous and want to hike to the best viewpoints? This time was different. senseless" photos of the crime scene, they say, which show her body . I got a clear view of Hannah's body, but not David's. of brutal murders during press conference today . Dubbed 'Death Island', the illusion of a safe haven has since shattered following the brutal deaths of a number of tourists. And its just claimed another two victims. He didn't get any change, he kicked off wanting his money back. But her parents slammed Thai authorities for failing to investigate the death. The 25-year-old's mum Tracey told a documentary about the island she would warn parents not to allow their children to travel to the island. She was fun, honest and loved life. Due to not remembering the name, I will refer to it as BAR. After weeks of investigations, Thai Police have arrested three Burmese man in relation to the murder of two British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge on the holiday island of Koh Tao.The Burmese migrant worker community is on high . The vibe on the island was very tense. The other question is why were they killed. This search engine for Thailand transportation also shows you all the available options in one overview. Check your Thailand routes below and 12Go Asia tells you all the options (bus, boat, train, flights) including time tables and direct booking options. Should I really travel to Koh Tao? 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 . Buying a Sim Card for Dominican Republic in 2023, Buying a Sim Card at Bogota Airport in 2023, Buying a Sim Card at Lisbon Airport in 2023, Four Seasons Amman | Luxury Experience in an Amazing City, Affordable Villa Mira Apartment near Rainbow Street Amman, best scuba diving destinations in the world, search engine for Thailand transportation, Buying a Thailand Sim Card at Bangkok Airport in 2023, 25 Best Street Food Dishes in Thailand (+printable checklist), 68 Interesting & Funny Thailand and Bangkok Facts. This is not a specific safety tip for Koh Tao, but everywhere around the world. Photographs appear to show the mobile phone of Hannah Witheridge submitted to police by her friends, despite police claims it was found in one of their suspect's possession. On New Years Day in 2015, he was found hanging in a bungalow. With all due respect but I obviously have no idea how a small blonde girl would feel visiting Koh Tao. "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. This article is of interest to the following WikiProjects : This page is a joke. If you would like to be prepared for your trip to Thailand then have a look at my guide telling you everything you need to know when you travel to Thailand: visas, safety issues, scams, the culture, things to do and things NOT to do, the best national parks, about the street food, the travel adapter you need, the vaccinations and many more things. They were at the same party together. They have been given the death penalty. In April 2017, she was found hanged in the jungle. In August 2020 the death sentence was commuted to life in prison under royal pardon by the decree. So let's look at the facts which I believe to be true. Questions surround her death. I have lived on the island for more than 7 months in total and traveled there uncountable times on top of that. Elise Dallemagne, 30, of Belgium. Ms Witheridge had been raped. The rise in tourist deaths in Thailand brought more police to the islands and stories of being caught with marijuana are still pretty common. 8 Christina is one of the many young Brits to have died on the island Credit: Handout 8 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. Dimitri Povse, 29, from France. Check out my Traveltomtom Group Trip page for one of the exciting upcoming group trips. People from India and China died, mostly drowning, every day and no one gave a shit. Becoming a digital nomad through this blog was a dream coming true, of course supported by my 280K Instagram account @Traveltomtom, more than500K TikTok and 50K Facebook family. He said autopsies to determine the cause of the deaths were expected in about two weeks. However, according to Rhys Bonney, an immigration adviser to expats in Thailand, the legality of the businesses are an extremely grey area. Even now that in 2023 things have drastically changed and that weed and smoking marijuana is pretty much decriminalised in Thailand, it still is a grey area. It was well known by us who lived on Koh Tao, if you did go to that bar, don't expect change. These are the first pictures of the British tourists murdered on a paradise beach in Thailand. Due to many many reasons I doubt the definitive version of the story will ever emerge. Picture: Viral Press/Australscope So how safe is Koh Tao? The Koh Tao Murders happened just a couple hours after I was celebrating my birthday on the same beach in the very early morning of September 15, 2014. Police ruled out foul play but his family believe he was murdered. I simply want to give you some more information about the safety issues in Thailand based on my personal experiences as I lived in Koh Tao and traveled around Thailand uncountable times since 2008. More photos here: Sue White after the attack. I have traveled around the islands extensively and would love to help you plan your trip to Thailand. Fears over the safety of idyllic Koh Tao were heightened after the killings of Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in 2014. Nick Pearson, from Derby, was found floating in the sea on New Year's Day 2014. A big discussion started when I posted a picture on my Facebook Page with the caption that Koh Tao was a peaceful paradise. The police took the Burmese guys to Bangkok and they eventually confessed. I dont believe well ever find out what happened to her. They might not have even realised what they did was offensive. Prosecutors alleged that the double murder of Paul and Maggie was part of an effort by Murdaugh to gain sympathy and distract others from his significant financial crimes. A few days later, staff checked her room to discover her mobile phone, passport and camera had all been left behind. Interested to see my ultimate Thailand itinerarythen have a read in the link. What really happened there? Burmese are treated like shit and no one will miss them, easy target so they chose two random guys. Koh Tao murders has been listed as one of the Social sciences and society good articles under the good article criteria. Any reasons to be worried? 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 think one, or both of them said or did something discriminatory to a ladyboy. Seeing a high ranking mafia member involved in a fight leads the other members to jump in. 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. Between 1-5 days later, I can't remember exactly, Thai police show up in large numbers and stop anyone from entering or leaving the island. 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.". Stay away from drugs! Now onto the mafia. For example, Songkran is the Thai New Year. Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, vanished from her hostel on Koh Tao in March and has still not been found. Photo: EPA . The only reason I can think for her to lie is to get some media attention, but that seems more likely to go badly than positively when the truth came out. Koh Tao is an amazing place to enjoy your holiday and you should be totally fine! L&M brand which were found near the crime scene matched samples . The vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of tourists that visit Koh Tao every year never have any issues or whatsoever. 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. The Murders The two people killed were Hannah Witheridge and David Miller. RME8CHF9 - Mae Sot, Thailand. Luke Miller, a bricklayer from the Isle of Wight, was found dead in a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach on January 8 2016, with an inquest earlier this month finding "no evidence" he was murdered. A 198 page appeal on behalf of the accused Burmese defendants in the Koh Tao murder trial has been filed with the Region 8 Court of Appeals on Koh Samui, Thailand. Frenchman Dimitri Povse, 29, was found hanged in a bungalow on the island on New Year's Day 2015 and his death was ruled as suicide despite his hands being tied behind his back. Although I was living on the island at the times of the murders and even celebrating my birthday on the same beach a couple hours before the Koh Tao Murders happened, I never ran into any issue on the island ever. The second theory is they were giving abuse to the ladyboys in BAR. Nationwide News Pty Ltd 2023. Brits Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered as they walked back to their hotel rooms in September 2014. Hannah was also revelling in her time staying at Sairee Beach with another group of travelling companions. Tony Witheridge bowed his head as bloody images of. 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. She was part of the sect of the Sathya Sai Baba cult movement, and lived with a self-proclaimed "guru", and left the island on April 17 to return home. On New Years Day in 2014, he was found floating in a bay beneath a 15m cliff. While most of the millions of tourists who flock to the island for its world-class scuba diving opportunities, lavish resorts and unending sunshine have the time of their lives, a disturbingly high number who visited the island never came home. The Backpacker Murders of Koh Tao. KOH TAO MURDERS - DID SCOTLAND YARD AND THE FOREIGN OFFICE SCREW UP? I had woken up between 4:30-5:30, as my day at work started at either 5 or 6. It's pretty common knowledge that torture doesn't get you the truth, it gets you what you want to hear. Almost every tourist that visits Koh Tao is not yet ready to leave at the end of their trip and sails away with mixed feelings: happy to have experienced this little paradise, but sad they have to go already! The photo-shopped picture below is not reflective of anything in the story - rather a hark back to the times . The judge said on Wednesday the matter would be dealt with on Thursday when the police officer who holds the samples will be present in the court. Click here for our ongoing coverage of the killings. 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. solve a crime that made global headlines . Aug 10, 2017. Now Im really suspicious, her father Boyce Annesley previously told news.com.au. Fire show boys were named notorious, however I never ran into anyone that this actually happened to. She had also heard it was the owner of BAR who had killed them, from a separate source to mine. All times AEDT (GMT +11). In January 2015, she was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics with alcohol. I'm so desensitised, as gruesome as this one was, to seeing dead bodies at this point that I just get back on my bike and go to work. It doesn't matter that multiple witnesses can place them in a different location at the time of the murder. The island is small and gifted with loads of hidden gems and completely deserted bays. Photograph: PA The island, two hours by boat from the nearest airport, has a low-key, undeveloped feel and. I had no issues with them, they had none with me, but a few of the individuals were friendly enough. At one point is was extremely hidden and out of nowhere it was out in the open, if you knew where to look. Prices for taxi rides in Koh Tao are fixed and they all stick to it. 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. Passport photos of David William Miller, and Hannah Victoria Witheridge, both 24, were placed on this memorial on Koh Tao on Wednesday. States of Jersey Police said family liaison officers were working with a family and close relatives of the dead man were thought to have been informed. This is just a backup page for the Youtube channel, plus some stuff that I would like to share. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Luke Miller, 24, from the UK. Burmese migrant workers crossing the Thai-Myanmar friendship bridge in the bordertown Mae Sot, Thailand. The young backpacker had been living at a yoga and tantra retreat, which neighboured the party island of Koh Phangan, in between travelling round Asia, for two years. Think on forehand where you want your Koh Tao hotel to be. But, his sister Maria and the family told the BBC they would not rely on what Thai police said as there was still speculation over the circumstances surrounding the death - and that they had received 'different versions' of what might have happened. Photographs of the bodies . Also, he noted that the several pieces of rope which were used in the suspected suicide appeared to be different which might suggest that the death was not caused by suicide. What To Pack For Thailand | Packing List With 40 Things To Bring. Like I touched upon, ladyboys were not looked down upon and it was disrespectful to do so. The Thaiger 116K subscribers Join Subscribe 712 Share 29K views 10 months ago #thailand #kohtao #thailandtourist We've all heard. The rest were mafia. We all knew who had done it but the police were dragging their feet. They were also asked to recreate the murders, but according to sources on Koh Tao, were unable to do so. I believe they met up whilst drunk at a previous bar. 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. Her bright future was brutally ended, leaving those who loved her broken with no answers. Three judges sat high above the small court room on Koh Samui, a larger island near Koh Tao, where witnesses will testify over the next three days. This is to prevent the public from speculating and becoming scared of the area for its crime incidents.. For the entire time I was on Koh Tao, there was one bar you avoided. 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. Once youve been living there for a while, youll turn a blind eye to some pretty sketchy stuff, says Mike Earley, 30, from New Zealand, who spent six months on the island working as a DJ. Don't get dodgy boat tickets from street vendors. Five more three-day sessions will be staggered over the next few weeks, ending on 25 September, after which the judges will rule on the verdict. chicken sausage biscuit starbucks discontinued, general hospital spoilers: lulu, convergent outsourcing sprint,