The murder of two young Russians in Pattaya undermines Thailand's tourism image, the country's foreign minister said, as reported by infohub.kz.
Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated that the killing of two young Russians in Pattaya negatively affects the country's reputation as a popular tourist destination.
"Thailand is a major tourist destination. When such a crime occurs, it undermines tourists' trust. We must admit that," the minister said at a briefing in Bangkok.
According to him, the authorities intend not to limit themselves to statements but to back up their position with concrete steps.
"We must show through real actions that we are determined to ensure greater safety and prevent the recurrence of such a crime in the future," the minister stressed.
As previously reported, the Russians went missing on the morning of July 26; later, their Honda ADV 150 motorcycle was found disassembled and buried near an old cemetery in Chonburi province.
Later, two suspects were detained and confessed to the murder of 22-year-old Diana Nazimova and her 17-year-old brother Roman. According to their testimony, they intended to steal the motorcycle, but when the young people resisted, they shot the younger brother and then beat his older sister to death.
The suspects also indicated the burial site of the bodies. Next to the Russians, three dead Thais were found: a man, a woman, and a girl.
Soon, a crowd gathered at a police station in Thailand demanding the death penalty for the suspects in the murder of the sister and brother from Russia, as well as the local family.