Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Woramet Taota
Topics: Crime
Dominic Smithers
Topics: Crime
The body of the 'girlfriend' of a British teenager who was killed in Thailand has been found.
Police recovered the body of Suraphltchaya Khamsa just a few miles from the location where Woramet Ben Taota was found last weekend.
After the 16-year-old was discovered, her family were able to identify her because of her braces and jewellery.
Confirming the tragic news, Police Major General Mongkol Sampawapol, commander of Lampang Provincial Police, said: "Police received intelligence gathered from the search operation about the location of the body.
"The suspect who admitted to killing the boy denies killing the girl. He says that somebody else attacked her and buried her body in the woods.
"We suspect that the suspect is responsible for both murders. However, police will also continue investigating the deaths to check if anybody else was involved.
"The female victim's body is now being sent to hospital for an autopsy to find traces of rape or sexual assault, because the suspect has a history of these crimes.
"There were signs of bruising on her face and it is expected that she was hit with a solid object until she died."
Ben, also 16, was found in a grove in the Ban Than district, his head was covered in blood after having seemingly been repeatedly hit with a blunt object.
His phone and wallet were missing, leading police to think he had been robbed.
The teenager was last seen riding a motorcycle with Suraphltchaya near the forest where they were found on 6 May.
They had been to visit her grandfather earlier that afternoon.
Local Chaiwat Boongarin was spotted on CCTV riding his black Honda motorcycle in the same area at the time Ben was murdered.
The 44-year-old was arrested and admitted to killing him, claiming that he was out for revenge after Ben allegedly stole pills from him.
However, he has denied having anything to do with Suraphltchaya death.
If he is found guilty, Chaiwat is likely to face the death penalty.
Ben's grandmother, Lilian Graham, said the news was utterly devastating for her and the rest of their family.
“It's been a real shock," she said. "We are all devastated. Ben's father Steve is going to Thailand tonight.
“I wanted to go out there with him to support him. But he wouldn't let me. He said the flight was too long and it would be too upsetting."