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Brit backpacker, 31, found dead in drain after pub crawl on Thailand’s notorious Death Island with girlfriend
Theo Bailey was found dead close to where Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were bludgeoned to death in 2014
A BRITISH backpacker has been found dead in a drain on Thailand's notorious Death Island.
Theo Bailey, believed to be 31, went missing while on a pub crawl with his long-term girlfriend.
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It is understood the couple were drinking with other holidaymakers on the island of Koh Tao on March 18 before the Brit vanished.
He was found the next afternoon in a shallow water drainage ditch outside the Roctopus diving centre.
police believe Theo had been there for several hours before he was discovered and that his phone was missing.
A local police chief said today that the case "was still open" but they had not made any arrests.
They claim to be waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination.
In a heartbreaking tribute, Theo's girlfriend Chantal Xerri, 27, 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."
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Theo was found dead near Sairee Beach - the same beauty spot where Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were bludgeoned to death on Koh Tao in September 2014.
Their deaths lead to the island being given the grim moniker Death Island.
Burmese men have convictions upheld over murder of British tourists in Thailand
Lieutenant Colonel Chokchai Suthimek said detectives believe the latest Brit's death was an "accident".
He said: "We believe that the tourist walked and fell into a small water channel at night.
"The police arrived and cordoned off the scene of the incident and examined the area the next day. Forensics unit arrived and also examined the scene.
"The body was sent for a detailed examination at the forensic department at Surat Thani Hospital and reported to the British Embassy to coordinate with the tourist's family.
"The case is still open. We are waiting for a report back from the autopsy. Nobody has been arrested. We think it was an accident."
Theo and his girlfriend Chantal, from Essex, were pictured wearing matching black vests emblazoned with 'Koh Tao Pub Crawl'.
The event is organised by Choppers Sports Bar on the island and charges revellers 580 Baht (£12.70) to join.
His death adds to the grim toll of Western backpackers who have died mysteriously on the island following the horrific murders of Hannah and David ten years ago.
Burmese bar workers Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo, both 29, were sentenced to life in prison for their murders.
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In the last decade alone, there have been at least 16 known cases of tourists dying on the island - though it is understood there are many more.
An FCDO spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and are in touch with the local authorities.”
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Tourists found dead on Thailand's Death Island
IN the most high-profile case, which lead to Koh Tao being branded Death Island, Hannah and David were discovered dead on Sairee Beach in 2014.
They had both been bludgeoned to death.
Below are other cases where the identities of the deceased are known and the official expiation is unclear or disputed.
Swiss tourist Hans Peter Suter, 44, went missing on Koh Tao before he was washed ashore at Talay Ngam beach in Lang Suan district of Chumphon province in November 2014.
His family and friends do not believe the Thai government's explanation that the strong swimmer had drowned.
Nick Pearson, 25, from Derby, was found floating dead in the sea off Koh Tao after visiting the island on a family holiday, just two months after Witheridge and Miller were found murdered.
Nick's parents maintain that he was killed in December 2014.
Christina Annesley, 23, from Orpington, South London, was on a four-month trip across Southeast Asia when she died on the island in January 2015.
A British coroner refused to accept the Thai findings into the death.
Dmitri Povse, 29, from France was found hanging from a ceiling on a balcony at Ta Chin Bungalow on Koh Tao at the beginning of January 2015.
His hands were tied behind his back, making it unlikely he had carried out the act himself, but local police dismissed it as suicide.
Russian tourist Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, went missing on Koh Tao in February 2015. She was a strong swimmer who had competed in races but she has never been found.
Luke Miller, 26, from the Isle of Wight, was found dead in a swimming pool at the Sunset Bar at Sairee Beach Koh Tao in January 2016.
Police are said to have told his family he was attacked in a bar the night before he died and post-mortem examination even found head injuries but Thai police ruled he drowned.
Scuba diving instructor Jean Francois Lout, 46, vanished on March 14, 2016, on a boat off the coast of Koh Tao, where he was working.
His body was found two weeks later dumped behind a school on the mainland in Surat Thani province.
Belgian backpacker Elise Dallemagne, 30, was found hanging from a tree in a jungle and half-eaten by lizards on Koh Tao on April 27, 2017.
A series of mysterious events were discovered in the days leading up to the death, including her suitcase boarding a boat, but Thai authorities ruled she killed herself.
Her mother Michele van Egten is certain that Elise was murdered and police are covering up the killer's identity.
Alexandr Bucspun, 33, from Moldova, was found dead in the sea off Had Sai Ree beach on Koh Tao on October 11, 2018. Police never found out how he died.
Bernd Grotsch, 47, was found dead at his home deep in the jungle in the Mae Haad part of Koh Tao in June 2018. He had built up a motorbike rental business that challenged local dominance in the local market.
Police claim he died of heart failure - a theory his family do not believe. They say police refused to provide post-mortem examination reports and they do not believe the findings.
Rocio Leticia Gomez, 39, from Argentina was lost on her first scuba dive in December 2018 on Koh Tao. She was pulled to the surface but died a few days later. Her friends pressed for an investigation but no action was taken.
Multi-millionaire hotel owner Rakeshwar Sachathamakul, 59, and his wife Anshoo, 55, were found dead floating in a hotel swimming pool hours after checking into the resort on Koh Tao in June 2021.
Policee said that CCTV cameras at the luxury hotel were "not functioning" on the day the wealthy couple died.
Neil Giblin, 48, was found dead on January 18, 2023. The circumstances surrounding the death of the healthy and highly experienced scuba diver remain a mystery.
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