Once again, Koh Tao -- Thailand's top tourist destination in Surat Thani -- has attracted global attention, albeit not in the way Thai authorities would have hoped for.
This time it is over an alleged rape case involving a young British woman who travelled to the island in late June. The 19-year-old tourist complained she was drugged, raped and robbed, and accused local police of refusing to investigate the case.
Her complaint was picked up this month by the UK press, including The Sun and Daily Mail.
In Aug 23 reports, The Sun called the popular tourist spot "Death Island" because of the deaths of several British tourists in recent years -- some under mysterious circumstances. So did the online news site, Samui Times.
The most notorious case was the rape-murder of British backpacker Hannah Witheridge and the killing of her companion David Miller four years ago. Two Myanmar workers have been sentenced to death for these crimes despite public doubts over their guilt.
In the latest drug-rape allegation, the young woman was reported to have checked in at a local hostel with a group of friends. On the last night of her stay, June 26, she said she woke up and found herself near the spot where Miller and Witheridge were found dead.
According to media reports, the woman tearfully told the hostel owner about her ordeal and, because she feared for her safety, fled to nearby Koh Phangan where she believed she could safely file a complaint with local police. She did so and was let down by police on duty who told her they had no jurisdiction there, meaning she had to return to Koh Tao. Her boyfriend, who saw her later, attempted to file a complaint only to be told he could not do so without her being present.
The woman, according to The Sun, has handed evidence to police in the UK because she "did not trust Thai officers". The evidence may now be tested in the UK to help identify the attacker, it said.
According to the newspaper, the woman was upset with police when she reported the alleged crime. She saw their lack of action as an attempt to cover up the crime.
The UK media reports have effectively left Thai police red-faced and belatedly rushing to take action.
National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda assigned Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, to handle the case. As police announced they intended to summon the victim from the UK for questioning, some officials challenged the woman's allegations, citing what they called was "conflicting information".
Earlier this week, Pol Maj Gen Surachate tersely dismissed the rape allegation, saying "there was no evidence". His rush to dismiss it so quickly only intensifies public suspicions. The fact is: Pol Maj Gen Surachate, who has been appointed spokesman for Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon, stopped short of saying that the reason for not having enough evidence was because CCTV footage taken in the area in question was copied over.
Worse, the senior police officer appeared to threaten the British woman. He cited "growing unease" among several local people over attempts to tarnish the island's reputation and they are considering taking legal action, obviously in a bid to shut critics up. The fact is the island's image has already been bruised because of the handling of the 2014 Witheridge and Miller murders, which many still see as shrouded in mystery with police having failed to win over trust in their work.
If anything, what's wrong with this these cases is the way local police appear to look upon rape as a minor crime, which it is not.
This latest case shows a lack of sensitivity by police in handling the traumatised woman's complaint. Police must dig into this case, look at all evidence. A cover-up, if this happens, will damage not only their reputation but that of Koh Tao, and the whole country.