British backpacker Thailand: UK tourist found dead in drain on notorious Koh Tao 'death island' after going missing on pub crawl

A Thailand travel warning has been issued after a UK backpacker was found dead during his holiday in Asia. The man, believed to be 31, went missing on 18 March while on a pub crawl on the island of Koh Tao with his long-term girlfriend.

According to reports he got drunk with other tourists and holidaymakers and was sadly found lifeless in a shallow water drainage ditch outside the Roctapus diving centre the day after. His phone is said to have also been missing. 

The authorities said that the case was “still” open after the tourist was found close to Sairee Beach, however, no arrests have been made at this time. Thai police said they are waiting for the post-mortem results. 

The holidaymaker has been named locally as Theo Bailey, who was on a trip to the Far East alongside his long-term girlfriend. Theo's devastated partner Chantal, who is listed as a teaching assistant working for Teaching Personnel based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, posted several tributes online to her partner. She said: "This is probably the hardest post I will ever have to do in my life. Last week, my best friend became an angel.

“Theo, having you in my life for 10 years will never be long enough. I will spend the rest of my life missing you and you will forever have my heart. Thank you for all the amazing and silly memories we have together. I miss you and I love you."

Over the past 10 years, Koh Tao has taken a more sinister reputation among some foreigners, with at least 11 Western tourists having died or disappeared there under mysterious circumstances since 2014. The 31-year-old was found close to Sairee Beach, which is the same place that Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were killed on the island in September 2014. The British backpackers were bludgeoned to death by two Burmese bar workers, Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Tun.

Neil Giblin, from Birmingham, died in mysterious circumstances after he was found dead on a sofa in a rented bungalow in his underwear in January 2023. The tropical holiday hotspot was given the nicknames 'Death Island' or 'Murder Island' as a result.