- .Bodies of woman, 23, and man, 24, found on beach on island of Koh Tao
- .Both are believed to have been bludgeoned to death with garden hoe
- .Police said to be looking for one of the victim's friends, who has vanished
- .Couple thought to have been among 50 people attending tourist beach party
The bodies of two British tourists have been found stripped and bludgeoned to death with a garden hoe on a beach at a popular holiday island in southern Thailand.
The couple - understood to be a 23-year-old woman from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and a 24-year-old man from Jersey - were found just before 5am today on the isle of Koh Tao, near the famous Full Moon party destination of Ko Pha Ngan.
They are believed to have attended an all-night beach party with up to 50 other people - mostly tourists - before their killers pounced in the early hours, violently attacking them with the digging tool.
The young woman is thought to have been raped.
And as further details began to emerge today, detectives revealed they are searching for a British man, believed to be a friend of one of the victims, who left the island on an early ferry this morning and is heading to Bangkok, ITV News reported.
Horrific: The couple - understood to be a 23-year-old woman from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and a 24-year-old man from Jersey - were found between 4am and 5am today on the isle of Koh Tao, near the famous Full Moon party destination of Ko Pha Ngan
Murder weapon? Police found a bloodied garden hoe dumped not far from where the bodies lay
Paradise isle: Koh Tao is an island in Surat Thani province known for its diving sites and serene beaches. Police have closed the sole pier on the island - which is only accessible by boat - in the hope that the killers are still there
Tragic: They are believed to have attended an all-night beach party with up to 50 other people - mostly tourists - before their killers pounced in the early hours
'The man was chopped in the back and on the side of his head, while the woman was chopped in her face,' police chief Prachum Ruangthong said. 'It's very gruesome.'
He said the victims' clothes and a bloodstained hoe were found near the bodies.
An initial investigation found that the victims had travelled separately to Koh Tao, where they met while staying at the same seaside hotel, police Major General Kiattipong Khawsamang said.
'They went out to a bar and left together after 1am, according to CCTV footage,' he said.
Searching for clues: Thai television showed pictures of police scouring the scene for clues as they desperately tried to determine what happened to the young British couple
Violent: Despite earlier reports that the man, 24, had been beaten to death with a rock, police said they believed he was in fact killed with the same garden tool
Murdered: One theory is that the killers may have seen the couple on a beach together after the party, and then pounced, bludgeoning the man with a hoe before attacking his companion.
Police said they have no immediate suspects and are checking more camera footage in search of the attacker.
HOW RISING CRIME IS TARNISHING THAILAND'S TOURISM SCENE
Thailand's seemingly idyllic island resorts can spell danger to tourists, as the brutal murder of two British travellers illustrates only too clearly.
Glowing travel brochure descriptions of tranquil, turquoise waters, sandy beaches and jungle walks hide the fact that crime is a constant factor in this part of south east Asia.
According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as many as 11 Britons have been murdered in Thailand since 2009.
In a 2012/13 New Year's Eve party Londoner Stephen Ashton, 22, was killed in a bar on Haad Rin beach on the Thai island of Koh Pha Ngan - a resort where the FCO warns British travellers to beware 'vicious, unprovoked attacks by gangs'.
The FCO says such attacks are particularly common around the time of Full Moon parties and generally occur late at night near bars in Haad Rin.
British visitors are also warned that violent assaults and robberies have been reported in the resort town of Chaweng in Koh Samui. Attacks have also occurred in other tourist districts in Thailand including Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Krabi.
The latest murder is a further setback for Thailand's tourism industry which is still recovering from the military coup which took place in May this year.
'We don't know who the suspect might be yet, but we have talked to different witnesses who might lead us to some clues,' Mr Kiattipong said.
He added that the woman was travelling with three other friends.
An employee at the seaside resort where the pair were staying told AFP the bodies were found behind large rocks on the beach.
'It was the first time this has happened on the island, I have never seen anything like this,' the staff member added, requesting anonymity.
Police have also blocked off the local pier - the only way on or off the island - to prevent anyone from leaving, but it is feared the killers might already have got away.
Residents told detectives that there had been a beach party for about 50 people, mostly foreigners, last night that went into the early hours of the morning.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are aware of the death of two British nationals on 15 September on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand.
'The Embassy are urgently seeking information from the local authorities and stand by, ready to provide consular assistance to friends and family at this tragic time.'
He said officials are working to contact relatives of both victims to inform them of the tragic news.
Koh Tao, an island in Surat Thani province, is a quieter destination than the neighbouring islands of Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, where 'full moon' parties attract travellers from Thailand and abroad.
It lies 250 miles south of Bangkok.
The attack came amid government efforts to revive Thailand's tourism industry after a military coup in May ended prolonged, sometimes violent political protests. Martial law remains in effect.
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