Thai jailed for killing tourist

A Thai man has been jailed for life for murdering a Swedish tourist on a beach in Phuket, a court official said yesterday.

A Thai man has been jailed for life for murdering a Swedish tourist on a beach in Phuket, a court official said yesterday.

The provincial court yesterday jailed 31-year-old Akaradet Tankay, also known as Thatchai, after convicting him of killing Hannah Charlotte Bankluns, 27, on March 15.

Bankluns was stabbed to death on March 15 after leaving her holiday bungalow for a swim on the remote beach of Mai Khao in the north of the island.

Police told the court Akaradet approached her from behind and demanded sex while threatening her with a knife.

When Bankluns resisted, Akradet stabbed her at least 20 times.

Akradet fled to Burma immediately after the crime.

He later returned to the country and surrendered to police in the Andaman coastal province of Ranong on March 19. Phuket police said his parents had been in contact and advised him to rurrender.

On giving himself up he admitted to the murder, but later retracted his confession.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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