Suspect in Thai Murders Contacts Police

The Thai police sergeant wanted in connection with the murder of two British travellers was yesterday reported to have contacted his superiors and offered to give himself up.

Investigators are still puzzling over the sequence of late-night quarrels that led to the killing of Adam Lloyd, 25, and his 23-year-old girlfriend, Vanessa Arscott.

The couple, from Devon, had been staying in the town of Kanchanaburi, 70 miles west of Bangkok, for the past week and are reported to have eaten at the S&S restaurant on River Kwai Road most nights.

The owner of the restaurant was Police Sergeant Somchai Visetsingha. The dispute began in the early hours of Thursday morning and spilled into the street. Several reports suggested that Mr Lloyd and the police officer had clashed over the attention being paid to Ms Arscott.

Thai police have said that Sgt Visetsingha shot Mr Lloyd four or five times with his .38 pistol, then drove off, pursuing Ms Arscott. He ran her down, dragging her body along the road for 100 metres, then fired two rounds into her head and abdomen.

Thai authorities yesterday confirmed that he had said he wanted to give himself up, but they warned it could take several days to negotiate a surrender. A warrant for his arrest was issued after his bloodstained car was found abandoned. He is believed to have fled with his wife.

The Britons had been on a backpacking holiday in Thailand since July. They had been due to return to the UK last weekend, but could not get a flight.

Adam's mother, Linda, who runs a hotel in Torquay with her husband Brian, described him as "a lovely lad".

Joyce and Graham Arscott, of Ashburton, Devon, said of their daughter: "Vanessa was a joy in our family, both beautiful and vivacious, and about to embrace life's big adventure with both hands."