Thai police yesterday said they were reopening an investigation into the April death of a Belgian tourist that was ruled a suicide at the time after online posts voiced concern that she might have been murdered.
The body of Elise Dallemange, 30, was found in a jungle on Koh Tao, where British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered on a beach in 2014.
Thailand is famous for its beaches and cultural sites, and the tourism industry is a major income generator.
Posts on social media this week said that Dallemange had booked a ticket to Chumphon Province, and that her luggage arrived after her death, implying that she had not intended to kill herself.
The murders of the British backpackers prompted some local and foreign media to brand Koh Tao “murder island.”
Two Burmese migrant workers were arrested and sentenced to death after they were convicted of the crime in December 2015 — a move criticized by rights groups who said they were wrongfully convicted.
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