BANGKOK -- Thailand's military ruler apologized Thursday for suggesting that foreigners visiting the country's world-famous beaches might be unsafe wearing bikinis in the wake of the killing of two British tourists this week.
The bodies of the man and woman were found bludgeoned on the scenic resort island of Koh Tao on Monday, dealing another blow to a tourist industry which has been struggling to recover since the army seized power in May.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha's comments Wednesday triggered an uproar on social media and one British tabloid, the Daily Mail, ran a front-page headline accusing him of "Smearing ... Britons Murdered in Paradise."
Prayuth had said that foreigners visiting the Southeast Asian country think "they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like ... (but) will they be safe?"
On Thursday, however, he backtracked.
"I apologize that I have spoken too harshly ... I didn't mean to criticize or look down on anyone. Today I can guarantee that Thailand is still safe ... I wanted to warn (the tourists) to be careful," he said.
Although Thailand is infamous worldwide as a freewheeling hub of sex tourism, its culture is fairly conservative with many Thai women preferring to don shorts rather than bikinis on the beach.
The killings of the two Britons remain unsolved and no arrests have been made.
Police said Wednesday that DNA samples from the bodies of the two slain tourists did not match any collected from 12 people who were among those in the area.
Police also conducted autopsies which showed that 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge died from head wounds while 24-year-old David Miller suffered severe blows to the head and drowned in the surf, said Maj. Gen. Pornchai Suteerakune, the country's forensics police chief.
Pornchai said Miller also had wounds on his hand, indicating a struggle had taken place.
The two Britons were found Monday morning in a rocky alcove along the shore close to the hotel where they both were staying on Koh Tao. A bloodied hoe was found near the bodies.
Assistant national police chief Gen. Jarumporn Suramanee said two sets of DNA that were found both on Witheridge's body and on a cigarette butt near the scene did not match samples taken from three foreigners and nine migrant workers in the area.
DNA traces from possible suspects could not be detected on Miller's body because it was smeared with his blood, Jarumporn said.
He said investigators believe there was more than one attacker and more than one murder weapon.
More than 70 police officers have been deployed to the island to investigate the case.
Thai official apologizes for bikini comment in wake of British tourists' deaths
/ AP
BANGKOK -- Thailand's military ruler apologized Thursday for suggesting that foreigners visiting the country's world-famous beaches might be unsafe wearing bikinis in the wake of the killing of two British tourists this week.
The bodies of the man and woman were found bludgeoned on the scenic resort island of Koh Tao on Monday, dealing another blow to a tourist industry which has been struggling to recover since the army seized power in May.
Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha's comments Wednesday triggered an uproar on social media and one British tabloid, the Daily Mail, ran a front-page headline accusing him of "Smearing ... Britons Murdered in Paradise."
Prayuth had said that foreigners visiting the Southeast Asian country think "they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like ... (but) will they be safe?"
On Thursday, however, he backtracked.
"I apologize that I have spoken too harshly ... I didn't mean to criticize or look down on anyone. Today I can guarantee that Thailand is still safe ... I wanted to warn (the tourists) to be careful," he said.
Although Thailand is infamous worldwide as a freewheeling hub of sex tourism, its culture is fairly conservative with many Thai women preferring to don shorts rather than bikinis on the beach.
The killings of the two Britons remain unsolved and no arrests have been made.
Police said Wednesday that DNA samples from the bodies of the two slain tourists did not match any collected from 12 people who were among those in the area.
Police also conducted autopsies which showed that 23-year-old Hannah Witheridge died from head wounds while 24-year-old David Miller suffered severe blows to the head and drowned in the surf, said Maj. Gen. Pornchai Suteerakune, the country's forensics police chief.
Pornchai said Miller also had wounds on his hand, indicating a struggle had taken place.
The two Britons were found Monday morning in a rocky alcove along the shore close to the hotel where they both were staying on Koh Tao. A bloodied hoe was found near the bodies.
Assistant national police chief Gen. Jarumporn Suramanee said two sets of DNA that were found both on Witheridge's body and on a cigarette butt near the scene did not match samples taken from three foreigners and nine migrant workers in the area.
DNA traces from possible suspects could not be detected on Miller's body because it was smeared with his blood, Jarumporn said.
He said investigators believe there was more than one attacker and more than one murder weapon.
More than 70 police officers have been deployed to the island to investigate the case.
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