KOH TAO — 2014 · Murder
Koh Tao Murders
On 15 September 2014 the bodies of two young British tourists were found on Sairee Beach on Thailand's Koh Tao island. Police arrested two migrant workers from Myanmar employed on the island. In December 2015 a court on Koh Samui sentenced both to death for murder. The defence argued their confessions were coerced and that the collection and handling of DNA evidence was seriously flawed; human rights groups criticised the investigation. The appeal court upheld the sentences in 2017 and the Supreme Court in August 2019. The case sparked international debate about the treatment of migrant workers and forensic standards in Thailand.
- Date
- 2014
- Place
- Surat Thani, Thailand, Koh Tao, TH
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 10.0983, 99.8265 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 15 September 2014Two British tourists were found dead on Sairee Beach.
- October 2014Two Myanmar migrant workers were arrested.
- 24 December 2015A Koh Samui court sentenced both to death.
- 29 August 2019Thailand's Supreme Court upheld the death sentences.
Sources
- ABC News — Two Myanmar men sentenced to death abc.net.au ↗
- Al Jazeera — Death sentences stand for Myanmar men aljazeera.com ↗
- ABC News (Australia)
- Al Jazeera
- TIME
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
Related Cases
More cases from the 2010s
Categories
🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.