[Curiosities] Koh Tao (The Island of Death)

[Jeenyuhs]

Although its real name is Tortuga Island (literal translation from Thai), this small island located in the Gulf of Thailand was po[CENSORED]rly baptized, years ago, as "island of death". With crystal clear and turquoise waters, pristine beaches, kaleidoscopic coral reefs and teeming with green turtles and hawksbill turtles, it is a common place for scuba divers given its ideal conditions to practice this sport.

In fact, Thailand, with more than 35 million annual visitors, is one of the most po[CENSORED]r tourist destinations in the world and is touted as the "Land of Smiles." The government, which has been led by a military junta since 2014, is sensitive to criticism that could undermine the country's reputation.

 

But why would an island paradise take the nickname "island of Death"?

 

It is because the luxury resort of the Asian country has registered in recent years a series of deaths surrounded by strange circumstances, which has led to this much more sinister reputation. At least nine European tourists have died or disappeared there since 2014.

 

Tourists who have died on the island include 25-year-old Englishman Nick Pearson, found floating in a bay below a 50-foot cliff on New Year's Day 2014; Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, who were beaten to death near where they were staying, having also raped the woman; to a Frenchman, Dmitri Povse, 29, who was found hanged in 2015 with his hands tied behind his back (the police ruled that it had been a suicide), in 2015, a Russian tourist, Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, disappeared with his diving equipment (and the police concluded that he drowned in the sea); Englishman Luke Muiller, who was found in January 2016 at the bottom of a pool at Sunset Bat in Sairee Beach; Belgian Elise Dallemagne, 30, who in April 2017 was found hanged in the jungle; or the 33-year-old Moldovan, Alexandr Bucspun, who drowned in 2018 after going for a late-night swim (with the police ruling out any murky matter related to his death).

 

Two new victims
 

Police have reported that a millionaire hotel magnate and his wife have been found dead at the luxury resort on Koh Tao. Their bodies were found floating in the resort's pool last Friday, just hours after checking in. According to island police, the CCTV cameras at the luxurious Jamahkiri Resort and Spa were "not working" on the day the couple died, fueling the mystery about what happened to the wealthy couple. They were Rakeshwar Sachathamakul, 59, co-owner and CEO of the Novotel Phuket Kamala Beach hotel and owner of the Bangkapi Mansion apartments in Bangkok, and his 55-year-old wife Anshoo. The couple arrived on the island on vacation on Friday along with their 34-year-old son Ratish.

Investigators will consider whether the depth of the pool, which was about 10 feet at one end, may have caused the couple to drown. They will also look at any health conditions that may have been a key factor in the deaths.