Police said on Sunday they had narrowed down the list of suspects in the murder of two British tourists on the southern island of Koh Tao, as the reward for information on the culprits was increased to more than 700,000 baht.
Senior Surat Thani police officers discussed investigative progress on Sunday and acknowledged detectives' latest report that focused on clues linking two prime suspects - a Thai national and a Myanmar worker. Surat Thani police commander Pol Maj Gen Kiatipong Khaosam-ang said a man caught by a surveillance camera near the crime scene was a worker at an entertainment place and the supervisor of a suspect whom police were following.
He was captured by the camera after the assault on the British tourists. The man had worn only pants and was barefoot because he had been woken up to see the crime scene. Police called him in for interrogation , Pol Maj Gen Kiatipong said. "Please have confidence in the work of the police. Now we are receiving full cooperation from all parties, especially locals and operators on Koh Tao who keep supplying clues," the Surat Thani police commander said.
Local operators said tourists continued to arrive on Koh Tao as usual, but not many from Britain.
Udom Tantiprasongchai, chairman of the advisory board of Orient Thai Airlines, handed over 500,000 baht through the Tourism Association of Koh Samui to add to the reward money for the arrest of the murderers This raised the overall amount to 713,000 baht.