BANGKOK, Sept 16 — Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-cha has ordered the Thai authorities to speed up their investigation into the murder of two British tourists on Ko Tao Island in the southern province of Surat Thani.
Gen Prayuth told journalists before attending today’s cabinet meeting that the incident has tarnished Thailand’s tourism image, stressing that police officers have been ordered to intensify the hunt for the suspects in the double murder.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, in charge of internal security, also urged police and relevant authorities on the island to speed up search for the murderers.
Unclothed bodies of two British nationals with multiple wounds were discovered on a beach near a bungalow on the island early Monday morning.
They were later identified as David William, 24, and Hannah Victoria Witheridge, 23.
Police found blood stains, a blood-stained hoe – believed to be the murder weapon — and a used condom near the bodies.
