A Burmese man has confessed to the murders of two British tourists in Thailand, police said on Thursday.
Hannah Witheridge, 23 and David Miller, 24, were found on 15 September with severe head wounds on the island of Koh Taa.
Post-mortem examinations revealed Witheridge, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, died from head wounds while Miller, from Jersey, died from severe blows to the head and drowning.
Hannah Witheridge and David Miller (below) were found dead on a Thai beach earlier this month
The post-mortem also revealed signs the Witheridge may have had recent sexual activity, but forensics experts do not believe she was raped.
A bloodstained garden hoe, believed to be the murder weapon, was found nearby.
“The investigation has advanced considerably,” deputy national police chief Lieutenant General Jaktip Chaijinda told Reuters.
“Three Burmese workers were detained and we took their DNA for testing. During the investigation one of them admitted killing the two foreigners,” he said.
Lt Gen Chaijinda added the man who had confessed was being detained but had not been arrested.
He said: “We still have to wait for DNA test results which we expect to have in 14 hours from now in order to confirm this.”
Thai newspaper The Nation reported that a Burmese man admitted carrying out the attack after he was arrested in Surat Thani on the Thai mainland
The quiet, small island of Koh Tao is about 410 kilometers (250 miles) south of Bangkok. It's a short boat ride from better-known Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, the latter known for raucous "full moon" parties that attract young travelers from Thailand and abroad.
The Ocean View Bungalows hotel where the pair were staying
Meanwhile, Thailand's military ruler has apologised for suggesting that foreign visitors to his country's world-famous beaches might be unsafe wearing bikinis.
In the face of mounting criticism, General Prayuth Chan-ocha said: ''I apologise that I have spoken too harshly ... I didn't mean to criticise or look down on anyone. Today I can guarantee that Thailand is still safe ... I wanted to warn (the tourists) to be careful.''
Earlier this month he claimed that foreigners visiting the south-east Asian country think ''they can do whatever they want, wear bikinis wherever they like ... (but) will they be safe?''.
He was quoted as saying: ''Can they be safe in bikinis ... unless they are not beautiful?''