Local police in Thailand have offered an update on the sudden death of tragic 21-year-old backpacker Robby Kinlan who was found dead in his resort hotel room on the island of Koh Tao.
The young man, from Co Clare, is understood to have died at the Baan Tao Bungalo Resort on Thailand’s ‘Death Island,’ where a number of tourists have tragically lost their lives. Police said today that his death is believed to have been caused by acute heart failure.
Robby was discovered by a friend he was travelling with at around 11am on Thursday morning. Police shared that Robby was holding his phone which was charging and connected to a wall socket when they arrived at the scene, the Irish Mirror reports.
The local station on Koh Tao, about 250 miles south of the capital Bangkok, is waiting for rough seas to calm before Robby’s body can be sent to the mainland for a post mortem examination.
Speaking today, Lieutenant Colonel Theeraphat Sanjai said: “The death seems to be acute heart failure. We are preparing to send the body for an autopsy, but the reason we haven’t been able to send it yet is due to the high waves on Koh Tao at the moment.
“We need to wait for the situation with the waves to subside before we can coordinate with the rescue team, boat, and vehicle to transport the body to the forensic department in Surat Thani Hospital. We also want to conduct the autopsy as soon as possible to determine the exact cause of death.
“His friend, who had known him for five to six years from their hometown, discovered his body on January 9 around 11 am. The friend knocked on his door but received no response, so he went to get staff to check. When they arrived, the staff couldn’t open the door because it was locked from the inside.
“They had to find a way to climb in and discovered that he had died in the room. The room had not been broken into or searched, and there were no signs of any assault. He died alone in the room.”
“His friend confirmed that he didn’t know if he had any pre-existing medical conditions. Currently, the body is still at Koh Tao. We have not yet received any contact from his relatives. The embassy is in touch with them, and we are still waiting for communication from his family.
“When he passed away, he was still lying in bed, charging his phone and holding it in his hand, as if he had been using it when he died. He was only wearing boxer shorts. We could not see what was on the phone.
“There were no alcoholic beverages found in his room, though we’re not sure if he had been drinking from outside. Personally, when I entered the room to find the body, I did not smell alcohol, just a musty odor. We have reported the matter to the Irish Embassy in Bangkok.”
Dozens of unexplained deaths of young tourists have been linked to the island over the years, earning it the grim moniker ‘Death Island’. The resort Robby was staying in was less than two miles from the Sairee Beach where Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were bludgeoned to death in September 2014.
In one of the most high profile deaths on Koh Tao, British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were battered to death on the beach by a suspected local serial killer in September 2014. It is claimed that police covered up the death in order to protect a well-connected local family and the tourism industry.
Despite its reputation for murders and mystery deaths, the island has some of the most beautiful marine life in the world and draws in hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers a year.
A fundraiser has been set up to help repatriate Robby’s remains home, raising over €38k. The young man’s devastated mother Tracy King said her son was ‘living his dream’ by travelling the world and following his passion for scuba diving.
She wrote: “Rest in peace my precious son Robby. He is resting in this beautiful Temple in Koh Tao, Thailand, before his removal back to Ireland. I’m heartbroken and overwhelmed and so very grateful for all the kindness being shown to us at this time. Thanks to all friends and family.
“Robby wasn’t just a friend – he was the kind of person who lit up every room with his kindness and warmth. He was always the first to help others, putting their needs before his own without a second thought.
“In Thailand, he was surrounded by many friends and he was living his dream, spending his days doing what he loved – freediving and scuba diving in the place that made him happy.
“Now, we want to honor Robby in the best way we can by helping his mum and family. We want to give everyone the chance to say their goodbyes and celebrate the incredible person he was.” Robby’s family have launched a fundraising appeal to raise money to have Robby’s body repatriated to his homeland for a burial. If he can’t be taken home, he will be cremated at a Buddhist Temple.