Murder weapon? Police found a bloodied garden hoe dumped not far from where the bodies lay
The bodies of two British tourists have been found stripped and bludgeoned to death with a garden hoe on a beach at a popular holiday island in southern Thailand.
The couple - understood to be a 23-year-old woman from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and a 24-year-old man from Jersey - were found just before 5am today on the isle of Koh Tao, near the famous Full Moon party destination of Ko Pha Ngan.
They are believed to have attended an all-night beach party with up to 50 other people - mostly tourists - before their killers pounced in the early hours, violently attacking them with the digging tool.
The young woman is thought to have been raped.
And as further details began to emerge today, detectives were said to be searching for a British man, believed to be a friend of one of the victims, who left the island on an early ferry this morning and is heading to Bangkok.
An initial investigation found that the victims had travelled separately to Koh Tao, where they met while staying at the same seaside hotel, police Major General Kiattipong Khawsamang said. She is understood to have checked in at the Ocean View resort with three friends three days ago. The male victim is said to have been staying in a different room at the hotel where they met.
'They went out to a bar and left together after 1am, according to CCTV footage,' Maj. Gen Khawsamang said.
An employee at the seaside resort where the pair were staying told AFP the bodies were found behind large rocks on the beach.
'It was the first time this has happened on the island, I have never seen anything like this,' the staff member added, requesting anonymity.
Police have also blocked off the local pier - the only way on or off the island - to prevent anyone from leaving, but it is feared the killers might already have got away.
Residents told detectives that there had been a beach party for about 50 people, mostly foreigners, last night that went into the early hours of the morning.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are aware of the death of two British nationals on 15 September on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand.
'The Embassy are urgently seeking information from the local authorities and stand by, ready to provide consular assistance to friends and family at this tragic time.'
He said officials are working to contact relatives of both victims to inform them of the tragic news.
Koh Tao, an island in Surat Thani province, is a quieter destination than the neighbouring islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, where 'full moon' parties attract travellers from Thailand and abroad.
It lies 250 miles south of Bangkok.
According to the Lonely Planet travel guides, Koh Tao welcomes thousands of visitors who 'come to worship the turquoise waters offshore'.
Its bright coral, sharks and rays bring in divers, hikers enjoy jungle walks and the bar scene 'rages on until dawn'.
The attack came amid government efforts to revive Thailand's tourism industry after a military coup in May ended prolonged, sometimes violent political protests. Martial law remains in effect.
It is not the first time a British tourist has been killed in recent years while holidaying among Thailand's picturesque islands.
In January 2013, 22-year-old city trader Stephen Ashton, from Purley, south London, was killed in crossfire when two rival gangs clashed in a shootout during a New Year's Eve party on the nearby island of Koh Pha Ngan.
According to local reports, tourists were dancing shortly after 4am on New Year's Day when two groups of Thai men, each half a dozen strong, began arguing, then fist-fighting.
As one of the groups fled the bar, one man turned back and fired a gun, leading to panic.
One bullet struck Mr Ashton in the torso, causing devastating injuries, police said.
After first aid by partygoers failed, he was sent to the Ban Don hospital nearby, which has only elementary surgical facilities, and was later pronounced dead.
His family said at the time: 'As a family we are completely devastated by the loss of Stephen from our lives. He has been taken away from us in such cruel and tragic circumstances in which he was an innocent bystander simply enjoying New Year celebrations.
'We are comforted in the thought that he was having a fantastic time with friends after such a difficult period following the loss of his much loved dad who passed away from a brain tumour in 2011 and the loss of his granddad a few months earlier.
'We were all so proud of him; he was a much-loved son, brother, grandson and nephew. He will be truly missed by his family but also by the many friends he made during his life. We cannot comprehend how someone can carry out such a reckless act, giving such little value to human life
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