Spanish man confesses to murder on Thai tourist island: Police

BANGKOK - A Spanish man has confessed to murdering and dismembering the body of another foreigner on the popular Thai tourist island of Koh Pha Ngan, police said Saturday.

Police believe body parts including hips and thighs that were found at a rubbish dump on Thursday belong to a 44-year-old Colombian plastic surgeon they named as Edwin Arrieta Arteaga.

Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, 29, who arrived in Thailand on July 31 as a tourist, has confessed to the murder, police said.

"He admitted it," Koh Pha Ngan's police chief Panya Niratimanon, told AFP, adding the investigation is ongoing.

"The victim and the suspect knew each other before they came to Thailand, and his dubious activities indicate that he might murder the victim," Panya said.

The suspect works as a chef and is the son of well-known Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho, according to media reports.

Photos of the suspect appear to match pictures on Daniel Sancho's Instagram account, which also follows the victim's account. The Instagram account has been previously tagged in Rodolfo Sancho's posts.

The Spanish embassy in Bangkok, Rodolfo Sancho and his agent did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.

Thailand is a relatively safe country where violent crimes are rare.

Koh Pha Ngan is famed for white sandy beaches and draws thousands of backpackers to its notoriously wild "full moon" parties.

In 2014, another tourist island Koh Tao was rocked by the double murder of two young British backpackers.

Two Burmese nationals are serving sentences of life imprisonment for the murders, but rights groups have accused Thai authorities of using the men as scapegoats. - AFP