Turquoise water, sand as white as flour, and coconut palms almost bowing to the sea – this is the image that draws crowds to Thailand. Yet, there is a place that hides a blood-curdling secret behind this postcard facade. We are talking about Koh Tao, a true island of mysteries, whose history is ready-made material for a dark film with a star-studded cast. Hearing a brief summary of the whole series of unexplained deaths, the question naturally arises: what is this grim legend all about, and what is this story truly about? Where lies its explanation? Because the official conclusion of many investigations provokes more questions than answers, and its interpretation is as difficult as in the thriller *Shutter Island* with Leonardo DiCaprio, which is incidentally based on an excellent book. Therefore, let us take you on a journey to this island so you can judge for yourselves whether its beauty is worth the risk taken. This is not a story you can just watch, that you can stream online like one of many similar thrillers available for free as a full movie with dubbing or subtitles. This is a story about real-life dramas unfolding in a setting someone once called paradise.

Welcome to Paradise? A few words on the geography and tourism of Koh Tao

At first glance, Koh Tao seems to be the embodiment of a tropical dream. It is one of those beautiful, once truly peaceful, corners of Thailand, devoid of sprawling hotel complexes and the noise of mass tourism. A place practically made for someone who just wants to lounge on the beach and feel close to nature. Only, beneath this paradisiacal surface lurks a second, much darker side, which has brought the island infamy and the nickname ‘Island of Death’.

Where is the „turtle island” and where does its grim reputation come from?

Okay, so where exactly is this place? Koh Tao is a small island, barely 21 km² in area, lying in the Chumphon archipelago off the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It’s about 60 kilometres from two much more well-known sisters – the larger Ko Samui and the one famous for Full Moon Parties, Ko Phangan. Formally, it’s a tambon, meaning a sub-district belonging to the Ko Pha-ngan district. For years it was called ‘Turtle Island’, because that’s what Koh Tao means in Thai, and the reptiles did indeed lay eggs here en masse. Unfortunately. Recently, this charming nickname has been replaced by something far more ominous. This is all due to a series of mysterious deaths and disappearances of European tourists, which began in 2014 and has cast a shadow over the reputation of this place.

How do you actually get to Koh Tao?

Getting to the island, even though it doesn’t have an airport, is surprisingly simple. First, of course, you need to fly to Thailand from wherever you are, which with a bit of savvy and patience isn’t a major challenge these days. And after that? After that, you just need to get to the coast or one of the neighbouring islands, from where regular ferries and faster catamarans sail to Koh Tao. The main departure ports are Chumphon and Don Sak on the mainland, and the aforementioned Ko Samui and Ko Phangan. The sea journey itself takes between an hour and a half and several hours, depending on what type of vessel and where you’re travelling from, and is quite a picturesque introduction to the adventure.

What attracts people despite everything? Diving, beaches and views

Exactly, why, despite this grim reputation, do people still go there? The answer is simple: diving. Because Koh Tao is still one of the most important diving centres in the whole of Southeast Asia. It is diving and snorkelling that are the magnet drawing travellers from all over the world. Crystal clear water, coral reefs, an abundance of underwater life, and diving schools offering courses at every level of advancement at genuinely good prices (which for many is crucial). And if not diving, then what? Of course, paradisiacal beaches perfect for lounging and spectacular viewpoints offering simply breathtaking views.

Paradisiacal landscapes and their dark shadow

Koh Tao really is an island of extremes. On one hand, we have landscapes so beautiful they seem unreal. On the other, stories so tragic they are hard to comprehend how they could happen in such a setting. And it is precisely this dissonance that makes a stay here more than just a holiday. It forces you to think.

Beaches, views and nightlife, or where to find paradise (and trouble)

The island has beaches to suit every taste. The longest and most famous is Sairee Beach on the west coast. It’s almost 2 kilometres long, and all the tourist life revolves around it: bars, restaurants, diving schools. This is the place for those who like things to be lively, although you have to be prepared for it being really noisy in the evenings. If you are looking for peace, Haad Thien Beach, or Shark Bay, will be a better choice. It’s a picturesque bay in the south, which owes its name to the harmless blacktip reef sharks that can be encountered while snorkelling. Another option is Chalok Bay, a quieter alternative to Sairee.

But to fully appreciate the beauty of Koh Tao, you need to look at it from above. And there’s no shortage of viewpoints here. One of those iconic views, the one of the nearby islet Koh Nang Yuan, can be admired from several places, including the platform at Grand Father Rock Lagoon or from Top Point. In the south, there’s Sun Suwan 360 View, a viewpoint by a bar, from where you can see two bays simultaneously: Chalok Bay and Shark Bay. This brief summary of attractions doesn’t fully capture how magical the view is at sunset.

And what happens after sunset? Although Koh Tao isn’t party-central Ko Phangan with its Full Moon Party, it does have its nightlife, mainly around Sairee Beach. It’s full of bars with music playing late. The most famous is probably Fish Bowl, where live bands often play. And it is here, in this atmosphere of carefree fun, that you feel a certain unease. Because many of the worst stories that have happened here began precisely after dark, in one of the beach bars, as if it were the second, darker part of the same tale.

A grim series of deaths. What really happened on the island?

And here we get to the heart of the matter. To the part of the island’s history that makes many travellers simply cross it off their list, and you can find many discussions about it online, often in English. Since 2014, Koh Tao has seen a whole series of deaths and disappearances, mainly young people from Europe. What’s worse, many of these cases still lack a sensible explanation, and the way the Thai police have conducted investigations… well, it has attracted enormous controversy.

The murder that started it all: the story of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller

September 2014. The idyllic image of the island shatters into pieces. On Sairee Beach, in the very heart of the tourist hustle and bustle, someone discovers the bodies of two British tourists: 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge and 24-year-old David Miller. The autopsy left no doubt – Hannah was brutally raped, and both died from blows with a blunt instrument. The Thai police launched an investigation that from the very beginning looked, to put it mildly, odd. Ultimately, two Burmese immigrants were sentenced to death for the murder, but many people, from journalists to human rights defenders, are convinced they were framed, just to quickly close the case and save Thailand’s image as a safe paradise.

A list of victims that is disturbingly growing

The death of the British tourists, unfortunately, was just the beginning. In subsequent years, further tragedies occurred on Koh Tao, and the victims were tourists from the UK, France, Belgium, Germany. More bodies appeared, and the local police, with astonishing regularity, classified these deaths as suicides, often completely ignoring the families’ protests or evidence that pointed to something completely different.

• In 2015, the hanged body of a 29-year-old Frenchman, Dmitri Povse (some sources say he was Russian), was found in a rented bungalow. His family never believed it was suicide.
• In the same year, 23-year-old Russian Valentina Novozhyonova disappeared from her hostel. What happened to her? To this day, it’s unknown.
• In 2016, the body of 26-year-old Briton, Luke Miller, was found at the bottom of a swimming pool.
• In 2017, the hanged body of 30-year-old Belgian, Elise Dallemagne, was discovered in the jungle. Her mother was certain it was not suicide, and the whole story would make a dark crime novel.
• Shortly after, the body of German tourist, Bernd Grotsch, was found in the forest. This man also died under mysterious circumstances.
• This tragic list is unfortunately longer and also includes Moldovan Alexander Bucspun, who drowned under strange circumstances, and Briton Nick Pearson. And in 2021, a wealthy couple from Australia (though other sources reported they were from India) were found dead in a luxury hotel pool.

Why do the police close cases so quickly? That is the question

In most of these cases, one thing stands out: the passivity and haste with which the local police closed investigations. Mysterious deaths were almost automatically classified as suicides or accidental deaths, even when the circumstances screamed that third parties were involved. Families of the victims often complained of intimidation and the complete ignoring of evidence. Such an attitude from the authorities only fuels speculation about corruption, about the desire to cover up the truth for fear of tourists leaving. And about a powerful local group operating on the island, a kind of ‘family mafia’, which controls all the businesses and feels impunity.

„Island of Rape”, or impunity and a systemic problem

Murders and strange deaths are one thing. But Koh Tao quickly earned another, terrifying nickname – ‘Island of Rape’. Numerous reports of sexual assaults on female tourists and, perhaps even worse, the authorities’ shocking reaction to these events, exposed a problem that runs much deeper than just this small island.

The case of the 19-year-old girl no one wanted to believe

In 2018, a scandal erupted concerning a raped 19-year-old British girl. The girl claimed she was drugged and raped on Sairee Beach, shortly after ordering a drink at the popular Fish Bowl bar. She reported the matter to the police, but they… initially denied that a rape had occurred at all. What’s more, they accused the tourist of lying. It was only when the girl told the British press about everything that it caused an international outcry. And what did the Thai police do then? Instead of looking for the perpetrators, they arrested 12 people for sharing information about the rape on social media, accusing them of damaging the island’s image (this is not a joke). Ultimately, under external pressure, the police interviewed the girl in England and supposedly resumed the investigation. Her mother, who stood by her daughter from the start, publicly accused the Thai authorities of deliberately covering up crimes.

Local mafia, corruption and a conspiracy of silence

Indeed, looking from a different perspective, it all starts to fall into a logical, though terrifying, pattern. Many sources, including investigative journalists and expats who have lived there for a while, say directly that the police on Koh Tao are corrupt. Their opinions, which can be found on various forums, not just film websites, are unequivocal: the authorities are under the influence of a few powerful local families who have a grip on most businesses – from hotels and bars to transport. It is this ‘mafia’ that is believed to be behind the silencing of many cases. Every negative piece of news is a blow to tourism, and tourism is a goldmine. Therefore, it is much easier to classify a tourist’s death as suicide, and a rape as the victim’s fantasy, than to conduct an investigation that could harm someone.

„Be careful in your bikini”, or how the authorities blame victims

This problem of blaming victims, or victim-blaming, is unfortunately evident even at the highest levels of government in Thailand. After the brutal murder of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller, the then Prime Minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, came out with something incredible. He stated that European female tourists couldn’t feel safe „if they wear bikinis”, unless they „are not beautiful”. He later apologised for this, but the damage was done. His words showed a certain mentality where responsibility for a crime magically shifts from the perpetrator to the victim. This approach, which is meant to protect Thailand’s image as the safe „Land of Smiles” visited by around 35 million tourists annually, is simply harmful and dangerous.

And what is everyday life like on the Island of Death?

Okay, but behind all those newspaper headlines and police reports, normal life goes on. How do people view this whole grim legend, for whom Koh Tao is simply home? Both the indigenous inhabitants and the expats who came here for the sun and work?

What expats say, and what locals keep silent about

A considerable number of foreigners live on the island – mainly young people from Europe or Australia, working as diving instructors, bartenders, or hostel managers. Their opinions are, interestingly, divided. Some, like Marcus, a Swede working at the Fish Bowl bar whom I once met, simply shrug their shoulders and say it’s a safe place and accidents happen everywhere. But there are others. As a friend of mine, who worked there for two seasons as a diving instructor, says: „You know, officially it’s great, but quietly, everyone will tell you that after dark you need eyes in the back of your head”. They talk about the omnipresent influence of the ‘families’ and that certain things are simply not talked about. However, everyone stresses that day-to-day, the island functions normally, and its charm still attracts newcomers, like 18-year-old Bella from the Netherlands, who came with a friend, perhaps after watching videos on YouTube, and decided to stay longer, handing out flyers for a ‘pub crawl’ on Sairee Beach.

And the indigenous residents? They are the hardest to talk to. Try asking about the series of deaths, and you’ll most likely see a forced smile and a quick change of subject. They’ll pretend they know nothing. The Thai woman giving you a massage on the beach, asked about Hannah and David, will probably pretend she doesn’t understand English. And a weary policeman at the station, when the victims’ names are mentioned, will just say the cases are closed. It’s a silence that might stem from fear, from loyalty, or perhaps simply from being tired of the label attached to their home. It’s a wall that as a tourist you’re unlikely to break through.

To go or not to go? That is the question

So we face a truly difficult choice. On one hand, we have an island of undeniable, paradisiacal beauty, a mecca for divers and an (apparent?) oasis of calm. On the other – a place marked by tragedy, with a tarnished reputation and quite real, documented dangers. Is it worth the risk? There is no single right answer to that question.

If you do decide to go – a few rules worth sticking to

However, if you decide to travel to Koh Tao, you simply must exercise double caution. It’s not about getting paranoid and sniffing out a conspiracy everywhere, but about a simple awareness of the risk and sticking to a few rules that, in this particular place, have much greater significance.

• Never, and I mean never, leave your drink unattended and don’t accept anything from strangers.
• Avoid returning to your accommodation alone at night, especially after a beach party. Always stick with your group.
• Let someone close to you know where you are and what your plans are.
• Be cautious about making new acquaintances and avoid conflicts, especially with locals.
• Have very limited trust in the local police; in case of any serious problems, call the Polish embassy in Bangkok.
• And most importantly, listen to your intuition. If something or someone seems suspicious, just turn around and walk away.

Thousands of tourists leave Koh Tao every year feeling it was the holiday of their lives, without any unpleasant incidents. They admired the underwater world, lounged on the paradisiacal beaches, and returned safe and sound. But the stories of those who weren’t so lucky are a reminder that darkness lurks behind the idyllic postcard image. The choice is yours. You can weigh the undeniable beauty of nature and unique atmosphere on one hand, against the risk that cannot be ignored on the other. Perhaps the key is simply conscious travel – enjoying paradise, but with eyes wide open and an awareness that even in the most beautiful corner of the world, evil sometimes lurks just around the corner.