Brit backpacker, 31, found dead in storm drain after pub crawl on Thailand’s notorious Death Island with girlfriend

A BRITISH backpacker has been found dead on Thailand’s notorious Death Island.

The tourist, believed to be 31, went missing while on a pub crawl with his long-term girlfriend.

AsiaPacificPress / ViralPress

The Brit was found dead outside the Roctapus diving centre[/caption]

It is understood the couple got drunk 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 Roctapus diving centre. 

His phone is said to have been missing and police believe he had been there for several hours before he was discovered.

Officers said today, April 12, 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.

The Brit 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.

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.”

The Brit and his girlfriend 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.

In the last decade alone, there have been at least 16 known cases – though it is understood there are many more.