BANGKOK, Sept 17 — The two British tourists whose bodies were found on a beach in southern Thailand earlier this week died from hard objects hitting their heads.
DNA tests are expected to be known tomorrow, Pol Maj Gen Dr Pornchai Sutheerakun, commander of Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, said today.
Dr Pornchai said 24-year-old David Miller died after being hit on his head while water was also found in his lungs.
Medical examiners initially believed the victim was thrown into the sea after being hit by the hard object.
Bruises were also found on the back of the victim’s hands and on his back, and it is believed that they were caused while attempting to protect himself before he died, he said.
Regarding 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge, Dr Pornchai said she was struck hard by a sharp object on her head. Semen was found in both her anal and vaginal cavities
Police medical examiners are checking strands of blonde hair in her right hand and were to conduct DNA tests to compare with that of the suspects whom police had interrogated earlier, he said.
Dr Pornchai said he expected results of DNA tests on the two victims would be known by Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, officials from the British embassy in Bangkok had contacted Institute officials, informing them the embassy wished to take possession of their bodies for funeral rites.
In another development, Interior Minister Gen Anupong Paochinda told journalists that Thai officials were putting every effort into finding the murderer.
Gen Anupong said he would order the Surat Thani governor at a meeting tomorrow to help speed up the investigation.
The bodies of the two British tourists were found Monday on a beach of Ko Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand and off the southern province of Surat Thani.
