DHAKA: The naked bodies of two British tourists were found on a Thai beach on Monday, the police said, sparking a murder probe on the popular resort island of Koh Tao.

The unidentified man and woman, both aged 24, were found stripped, with several wounds to their bodies close to a beachside bungalow on the island, a diving hot spot near Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand.

‘They were murdered and found naked on the beach. Police were informed at 6.30am,’ local police official Jakkrapan Kaewkhao told media.

‘Their bodies were found 30m from (the) bungalow,’ he said, adding the pair had arrived in Thailand on August 25.

Police are searching for witnesses and are yet to identify a suspect or motive, he added.

An employee at the budget seaside resort where they were staying told media the bodies were found behind a set of large rocks on the beach.

BDST: 1711 HRS, SEP 15, 2014