Robby Kinlan, 21, was tragically found dead in a hotel room this month during his trip to Koh Tao, but he’s not the first Brit to tragically die on the Thai ‘Death Island’
Koh Tao, a breathtaking island in Thailand known for its pristine white sand beaches, tropical coral reefs and hilltop views, is any backpacker’s dream – but it has a sinister reputation.
Koh Tao, which is named after its turtle-shaped resemblance, first swept the tourist industry by storm during the 80s and 90s. While it only holds a population of around 2,000 residents, it is said to attract between 300K and 500K tourists every year, who visit for sensational diving opportunities and to experience a slower pace of life on the picturesque island. But despite its paradise appeal, the island in the Gulf of Thailand has become a place of nightmares, with numerous murders and disappearances taking place, leading it to be dubbed ‘Death Island’.
This month, 21-year-old backpacker Robby Kinlan from Ireland was found dead inside a hotel room on Koh Tao. Robby was discovered by a friend on the morning of January 9, and tragically could not be revived. Police have disclosed that in one hand, Robby was holding his phone, which was connected to a wall socket while it was charging. The device was locked by the time officers arrived. Robby’s family have launched a fundraising appeal to raise money to have Robby’s body repatriated to his homeland for a burial. If he can’t be taken home, he will be cremated at a Buddhist temple.
Concerns rose about the ongoings in Koh Tao almost a decade ago when two British backpackers were brutally bludgeoned to death. Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found murdered and partially naked near blood-stained rocks on Sairee Beach, a well-known party area, in September 2014. It was revealed that the pair had been bludgeoned to death with a wooden hoe as they were walking back to their hotel room late one night. It also came to light that Hannah had been shockingly raped during the attack.
In the same year, Swiss tourist Hans Peter Suter, 44, was reported missing from Sairee Beach, but ten days later, his body was washed ashore. It was reported that he had been dead for around 10 days when his body was discovered after he had gone snorkelling on his own on 8 November. Authorities said Hans “had just completed a divemaster scuba course” before his death, and his loved ones were unconvinced that he hadn’t drowned as he was a confident swimmer and regular snorkeller.
Tragedy struck again in December 2014 when Nick Pearson, 25, from Derby, was found dead in the sea just off Koh Tao during a family holiday. His parents believed he could have been followed back to his holiday accommodation and murdered, while the police claimed Nick fell 50ft and drowned. The coroner concluded that there was not enough evidence to determine how or where he had tragically died.
In January 2015, Christina Annesley, 23, from Orpington, South London, passed away in Koh Tao after a suspected accidental overdose. Days before her sudden death, Christina tweeted that she had to fork out £60 for antibiotics to treat a lung infection and is thought to have mixed her antibiotics with alcohol. However, her father, Boyne, said at the time that a toxicology report was not carried out. An autopsy was carried out in Thailand, but after her body returned to the UK, the coroner was unable to determine her cause of death due to her body not being in “a good state because of incompetence or deliberate mishandling”.
In the same month, Dmitri Povse, 29, from France, was found dead in his room at Ta Chin Bungalow after a reported suicide. A note was said to be found on his bed, which read in French, “Iris, I love you. Suicide seems easy but it is actually difficult.” Then, in March 2015, Russian traveller Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, disappeared from her Koh Tao hostel. It was reported that she had left her mobile phone, passport and camera in her room and was last seen walking to Chaloke Hin Kao Bay. It was suggested that she went diving, but her body was never found.
Luke Miller, from the Isle of Wight, was shockingly found dead in a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar on Sairee Beach in January 2016. Thai police claimed a post-mortem showed that Luke had drowned, while a coroner said, “It has been suggested this was a cover-up by the Thai authorities but there has been a very thorough police report.” A post-mortem later carried out in Thailand revealed that Luke had sustained head injuries and had drowned.
Belgian tourist Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanging from a tree in a jungle on April 27, 2017, and had been half-eaten by lizards on Koh Tao. Thai police first ruled her death as a “suicide”, but the case was reopened two months later after her family suspected it could have been murder. Her mum, Michele van Egten, previously said: “I do not believe what the police have told us. We fear somebody else was involved. We’re more and more thinking that the police information is not the right explanation.”
Bernd Grotsch, 47, from Germany, was found dead at his home in a jungle on the island. His family said at the time that they did not believe authorities who claimed he had died of “heart failure” or had been “bitten by a snake.” His body was sent to Bangkok hospital, claimed to be without his family’s permission, where the reports of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were also carried out. His cousin previously told The Sun: “There is no explanation for Bernd’s death. He was fit, healthy and happy. We are furious that we have not been able to have an approved independent forensic examination.”
In January 2023, Neil Giblin, 48, from Birmingham, was mysteriously found dead on Koh Tao. The body of the driving instructor was found in a rented bungalow after he failed to turn up for work. He was described as being “fit and healthy”, and it was claimed he passed away from natural causes. However, he was reportedly the fifth instructor to die on the island within the past few years. A friend previously told The Sun: “The medics who showed up said there was nothing suspicious. I was told the police said straight away there was nothing to investigate. It happened so quickly. I don’t even think they did an autopsy.”
