Koh Tao tops ‘best Asian islands’ list despite bad press, safety concerns

Koh Tao is popular for its stunning beaches and diving opportunities.

By Asian Correspondent Staff Apr 22, 2015

The southern Thai island of Koh Tao, the scene of the brutal murders of two British backpackers last year, has been voted as the ‘Best Island in Asia’ on TripAdvisor.

It was also ranked the 5th best island in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travellers’ Choice Awards, due to its “white sand beaches… and 300 days of sun per year”.

The island’s continuing popularity among travellers comes despite the high-profile murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in September last year. While two Burmese suspects are in custody for those murders and are awaiting trial, many have expressed doubts about their guilt.

The island has received repeated bad press with suspicions surrounding a number of deaths. On January 1, 2014, the body of another Briton, Nick Pearson, was found on a Koh Tao beach. Police claim Pearson fell from a high place and drowned, but his parents allege a cover-up.

“He didn’t look like someone who had been in the water for hours – there was still dried blood on his face. It was all wrong,” the parents told The Mirror.

Suspicions were raised about another death at the beginning of this year after a Frenchman was found hanged on the island. Images circulated online appeared to show that the man’s hands were tied behind his back, raising questions as to how he could have hanged himself.

Police and physicians said they were not treating the incident as a homocide, and a suicide note was found at the scene. The death did, however, raise renewed doubts about the Thai justice system and the safety of the island.

Despite dominating many of the headlines both in Thailand in the UK in the latter months of last year, Koh Tao remains a safe destination for tourists by Thai standards. Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office reports that 362 British nationals died in Thailand between April 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014, putting the Koh Tao incidents into perspective.

The murders of Witheridge and Miller will make an inevitable return to the headlines in July when Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo stand trial for their murders. Judging from the results of the TripAdvisor poll, it seems unlikely that this will dent Koh Tao’s seemingly unshakeable popularity among travellers.

Thai islands dominated the list of best Asian islands, with Phuket, Ko Samui, Ko Lanta and Ko Phangan also featuring in the top 10.