A 22-year-old British man on vacation in Thailand has been shot dead as he celebrated the new year at one of the country’s most popular party islands, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has confirmed.
Stephen Ashton apparently became caught in crossfire between rival gangs. Local police say he was hit in the side by a stray bullet as he danced with friends in Koh Phangan, southern Thailand.
Police also stressed that he was not involved in the fight, which was thought to have been between two small groups of men at a beach-side bar called Zoom. A shot was fired, according to witnesses, as one group of men ran out of the bar at around 4am local time.
A local man, Ekkepan Kaewkla, has been arrested in connection with the killing, reports the Bangkok Post, which also says the man has admitted involvement in a fight but denied firing a gun.
