This island paradise is notorious for the unexplained deaths of people who visit there. And it’s just claimed another two victims.
This idyllic island in Thailand has long been popular with tourists for its pristine beaches, kaleidoscopic coral reefs and turquoise waters.
In recent years, however, the unexplained deaths and disappearances of many of those tourists have earned it a reputation as a death trap.
And it’s just claimed another two victims.
A millionaire hotel tycoon and his wife have been found dead in a luxury resort on Koh Tao, colloquially known as Death Island.
Their bodies were found floating in the resort’s pool last Friday, just hours after they checked in.
Disturbingly, police on the island have said CCTV cameras at luxury Jamahkiri Resort and Spa “weren’t working” on the day the couple died, fuelling mystery around what happened to the wealthy pair.
Tragedy just hours after arrival
The couple were Thai-Indian nationals Rakeshwar Sachathamakul, 59, and his wife Anshoo, 55. Mr Sachathamakul was the co-owner and chief executive officer of the Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach hotel and owned the Bangkapi Mansion apartments in Bangkok.
The couple arrived on the island for a holiday on Friday along with their son Ratish, 34, the Bangkok Post reported.
After checking into the resort, the couple headed down to the pool for a swim while Ratish went for a walk on the beach.
A short time later, Ratish returned to the resort to find the bodies of his parents floating in the water.
He called for help from staff but his parents were both dead when their bodies were pulled from the water.
No staff were in the area when their deaths happened, Koh Tao police chief Kriangkrai Kraikaew said.
He said autopsies to determine the cause of the deaths were expected in about two weeks.
In the meantime, investigators have been piecing together the couple’s final moments before the tragedy.
Koh Tao Police Major Jiraphob Puridech said the couple had been sitting at the pool bar before hopping into the pool for a swim.
“The CCTV in the area had not been working for several months due to lack of maintenance but officers are now collecting evidence from the cameras installed in other parts of the hotel,” he said.
“The pool was also supposed to be empty, because it was closed down due to Covid-19 restrictions.”
Mr Puridech said there were no signs of struggle at the scene and an early examination of the bodies did not suggest foul play.
Investigators will consider whether the depth of the pool — which was around 3m on one end — may have led to the couple’s drowning. They will also look at any health conditions that might have been a factor. Ratish has told police his father had diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnoea.
“The investigation will cover the depth of the swimming pool, their health conditions and possible foul play,” Mr Puridech said.
“All of the witnesses will be investigated as well. This is to prevent the public from speculating and becoming scared of the area for its crime incidents.”
Island paradise’s sordid history
But Koh Tao’s reputation for crime has already earned it global notoriety, with the couple’s death the latest on a long death toll.
And the pain felt by many of their loved ones has been made worse by suspicions of cover-ups in investigating their deaths and disappearances, and that powerful mafia families have tightened their grip on the island.
The family of New Zealand-born British tourist Christina Annesley, who died on the island in 2015, don’t believe police’s insistence she died after mixing antibiotics with alcohol.
“In the back of my mind I had a feeling there might be something wrong. Now I’m really suspicious,” her father Boyce Annesley previously told news.com.au.
“I don’t believe we’ll ever find out what happened to her. There’s no proof because you can’t get proof because the authorities are corrupt.”
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.
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But human rights groups have called the men’s convictions “profoundly disturbing” amid allegations of mishandled forensics and claims by the men Thai police had tortured them into confessing.
Death Island’s victims
Nick Pearson, 25, from the UK. On New Year’s Day in 2014, he was found floating in a bay beneath a 15m cliff. He had no broken bones. Police ruled out foul play but his family believe he was murdered.
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. Ms Witheridge had been raped. Two Burmese bar workers were found guilty of their murders the following year and sentenced to death. [Read more: Myanmar migrants found guilty of killing British backpackers, sentenced to death; Thailand beach murders: A flawed and muddled investigation]
Dimitri Povse, 29, from France. On New Year’s Day in 2015, he was found hanging in a bungalow. Police ruled his death a suicide but couldn’t explain why his hands were tied behind his back.
Christina Annesley, 23, from the UK and born in New Zealand. In January 2015, she was said to have died of natural causes after mixing antibiotics with alcohol. No toxicology report was conducted. Her family are suspicious.
Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, from Russia. In March 2015, she vanished from her hostel, with her mobile phone, passport and camera left behind. She is still missing.
Luke Miller, 24, from the UK. In January 2016, he was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach. His family has accused police of a cover-up.
Elise Dallemagne, 30, of Belgium. In April 2017, she was found hanged in the jungle. Questions surround her death.
Source: news.com.au, Staff, June 13, 2021
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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde