The Thailand Beach murders have put a dent on the Southeast Asian country's tourism industry. On September 16, two young British tourists were found dead on the island of Koh Tao. The victims were identified as David Miller, 24, from Jersey, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth. The authorities found them half-naked and sustained several deep wounds. A third British backpacker is believed to be behind the crime and a nationwide manhunt has been launched by the authorities for the arrest of the suspect.
The country's top leader, Prayuth Chan-ocha, has condemned the crime saying it is a new blow to the country's tourism. However, his further comments on recent Thailand beach murders earned the ire of the public.
“There are always problems with tourist safety,” he said. “They think our country is beautiful and is safe so they can do whatever they want, they can wear bikinis and walk everywhere.
But “can they be safe in bikinis ... unless they are not beautiful?”
“This should not have happened in Thailand. It will affect our image in the eyes of international countries,” he said.
“In their countries, (foreigners) can travel wherever they want, so they thought it is safe, but in our country, there are still problems. There are different types of people, so they have to be careful,” Prayuth told AP.
“Those related must warn them and this incident has to be investigated because Thai people won’t tolerate this.”
With these comments on Thailand Beach Murders, the prime minister came under fire. On September 18, Chan-ocha extended his apology to the public.
"I am sorry with what I said and if it has caused any ill-feelings. I just wanted to warn tourists that we have different traditions and they have to stay on their toes."
Right now, the bodies of the victims have been handed to their family members in Thailand for repatriation.
