20 September 2024

Thai police have ended investigation into allegation by a British backpacker that she was drugged, raped and robbed on Koh Tao island in the southern province of Surat Thani on August 26 due to what they claim to be a lack of credible evidence. 

Speaking at a press conference this morning, the national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, declared the case “closed”.

He said Thai police investigation had not found any credible evidence that could prove that the alleged crime actually took place.

Police investigators, he said, scoured the scene of the alleged incident on the popular Koh Tao and found no evidence nor witnesses that could confirm the allegation.  A team of Thai police investigators recently also went to question the alleged victim in Britain but Pol Gen Chakthip said she could not provide any useful information to support her claim.

The police chief said she could not recall how the alleged incident took place nor could she provide description of the alleged assailant.    A T-shirt which British teenager claimed was evidence of the alleged crime was not helpful since it was found to have only DNA traces of a man and a woman and nothing more.

He said the British consular office in Bangkok has already been informed of the Thai police findings.

Pol Maj-Gen Surachet Hakparn, the acting immigration commissioner, said at the same press conference that even though police have come to a conclusion that the case was a matter of false information, they have no intention to lodge a legal complaint against her.

He said that the alleged victim was probably confused and could not give any useful information to the Thai police about the alleged perpetrator or about the alleged offence when she was questioned by the police.