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Agence France-Presse

Thai officials have filed criminal charges against a news website for branding the popular beach destination of Koh Tao “Death Island” in reports about a string of murky tourist fatalities.
Koh Tao’s reputation as a tropical paradise was first sullied in 2014 when two British backpackers were brutally murdered on one of its white-sand beaches.
A series of other foreign tourist deaths have fuelled press coverage about the island’s ‘dark side’, with allegations of local mafia and corrupt police colluding to cover up murders.
The latest case to raise suspicions was the death of a Belgian woman in April, which police ruled was a suicide.
Local online outlet Samui Times ran an article last month that questioned the police account and referred to Koh Tao as “Death Island”.

The piece quickly went viral and forced officers to re-examine the case.
But island authorities are now suing Samui Times for violating the Computer Crime Act, which outlaws uploading false information online.
The tough law, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, is frequently wielded by authorities and business elite to suppress critical reporting in Thailand.
Lost in translation? Lawyers for men accused of Koh Tao murder claim interrogation was flawed
Koh Tao mayor Chaiyan Thurasakul said the website is accused of “damaging Koh Tao’s reputation by calling it ‘Death Island’”.
The charges were filed on Thursday by local district chief Krikkrai Songtanee, who said the report had caused “panicked tourists to cancel their bookings”.
Police will review the charges and decide whether to take the case to prosecutors.

Samui Times, which said it had yet to be contacted about the charges, defended its reporting in an online post.
“The Samui Times believes that it is in the best interests of any visitor to the island to be aware of the numerous tourist deaths and the fact that many families of those who died on the island are not satisfied with police investigations,” it said.
‘In awe of how beautiful this place is’: Third British backpacker found dead on Koh Tao
The Bangkok Post blasted the lawsuit in an editorial, calling on authorities to clear up any misinformation instead of intimidate the outlet.
In 2015 another local news website, Phuketwan, closed after running out of money in its successful bid to defeat a defamation suit brought by Thailand’s navy over its reports on human-trafficking.


Thai officials sue news outlet for calling tourist spot ‘Death Island’

Tourists on a beach on Koh Tao, Surat Thani Province, Thailand. Photo: Reuters

FILE PHOTO : Tourists carry their backpacks after arriving by boat to the island of Koh Tao, Surat Thani province, Thailand, September 19, 2014. Picture taken September 19, 2014. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom/File Photo

epa05079750 (FILE) An undated composite file handout picture made available by Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office shows British students Hannah Witheridge (L) and David Miller (R), who were found murdered on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand on 15 September 2014. A court in Thailand on 24 December 2015 found Myanmar migrant workers Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo guilty of the murders of British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on the island resort of Koh Tao, and sentences them both to death. Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo were arrested in October 2014 and confessed, but later withdrew their statements saying they were forced to admit responsibility for the crime. The victims suffered extensive injuries to the head and neck, and DNA evidence found that Witheridge had been sexually assaulted. EPA/BRITISH FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH HANDOUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO SALES

Lost in translation? Lawyers for men accused of Koh Tao murder claim interrogation was flawed

The accused, Myanmese migrant workers Zaw Lin (right) and Win Zaw Htun. Photo: Reuters

The victims, British students Hannah Witheridge (left) and David Miller. Photo: EPA

‘In awe of how beautiful this place is’: Third British backpacker found dead on Koh Tao

Christina Annesley, 23, was apparently posting updates about her stay on Koh Tao until Monday. Photo: Twitter

A Twitter update apparently posted by Christina Annesley on Monday. Photo: Twitter

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