Murder of Hanna Charlotta Bäcklund

Hanna Charlotta Bäcklund, a 27-year-old Swedish woman, was killed on the afternoon of March 14, 2008, on Mai Khao beach at the northern tip of Phuket, Thailand. On the day of her death, Bäcklund asked a travel companion to join her for a walk on the beach, but the companion remained at the grounds of a hotel where the two had been camping in a tent. When Bäcklund did not return, her companion went looking for her and discovered her body in the sand.

According to the account of her death, Bäcklund was attacked and fought back before being stabbed in the neck. She also had apparent knife wounds on her body and her left hand. Police expressed concern that any physical clues left in the sand may have been washed away by waves, complicating the investigation.

On March 18, 2008, Thai police issued a warrant for the arrest of a 31-year-old man, identified as Akaradet Thatchai Tankay (also referred to as Akkaradej "Chon" Tankae in some accounts), described as a Moken sea gypsy working as a pool cleaner and gardener in the area. Police stated they had received prior reports of the suspect's tendency to spy on female tourists on the beach, and they believed he had fled toward the Chumphon region of Thailand.

Later on the night of March 18, 2008, police arrested the suspect in the Kraburi district of Ranong province, with the assistance of his father and other relatives, after he reportedly made contact with them from Burma expressing a desire to surrender. It was reported that he admitted to stabbing and killing Bäcklund after attempting to rape her.

On August 25, 2008, the Phuket Provincial Court sentenced Akkaradej Tankae to life imprisonment for Bäcklund's murder. Contemporaneous reports said the sentence was reduced from death to life imprisonment because he made a full confession.