Another British woman claimed she had been raped in Surat Thani province, this time on Koh Phangan, but withdrew the claim after a medical examination.
Thai media reported on Monday that the British Embassy in Thailand had informed Koh Phangan police of the claim.
According to the police, the embassy told them at 6am on Sunday the father of the 25-year-old British national had made an overseas call to inform the embassy his daughter had been raped at a hotel in Ban Hat Rin in tambon Ban Tai in the resort island.
Local and tourist police, together with staff from the Tourist Assistance Centre, went to the hotel and questioned the woman, who had been staying there, and took her to Koh Phangan Hospital for an examination.
The results showed no signs of rape or drug abuse, police said.
They then took her to the police station for more questioning, with a staff member from the help centre acting as an interpreter and a representative from the British Consulate in Thailand present.
The woman allegedly told them when she woke up on Sunday, she found herself naked and her clothes scattered all over the room.
Since she could not remember anything, she thought something bad might have happened. She had suspicions about a British man she met at a pool party at the hotel on Friday night and thought she might need police help.
Thai authorities checked the CCTV footage in front of the hotel and some photos taken in the area from the time she returned to the hotel and let her view them. They found no suspicious activities or strangers entering her room during the period.
The woman later apologised and thanked the Thai authorities.
Deputy tourist police chief Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn said on Monday the case should serve as an example for tourists. “Deliberately filing a false complaint will lead to prosecution and blacklisting. Thai police stand ready to treat all parties fairly and have the duty of checking facts whether reports are true or false,” he said.
In June, a 19-year-old British woman claimed she had been raped on Koh Tao and later talked to a few British newspapers about the incident. Thai police said they could not find evidence of the crime based on what she had told the English media.
On this case, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said there was a development. “The British Embassy told us the woman agreed to let Thai police question her in England and we’ll send female officers to talk to her late this month.”
