British tourist, 30, killed in horror motorcycle crash in Thailand

A young British tourist was killed in a horror motorcycle crash in Thailand.

Billy Thomas James, 30, from Hammersmith, west London, was reportedly speeding without wearing a helmet when he lost control of his rented two-wheeler along a road in the popular Ao Nang area of Krabi on September 9.

Police Captain Thitikorn Pantubtimthong, Deputy Chief of Investigation at the Ao Nang Police Station, said cops received a report at 12:45am local time.

They found Billy sprawled on the ground in a pair of shorts, black vest and trainers. His damaged black Honda Click 125cc motorcycles was on the road nearby.

Paramedics performed CPR on the roadside but they were unable to revive the Brit, who was a few hundreds metres from the bustling rows of bars on the beach front where thousands of backpackers gather every night.

Police Captain Thitikorn said: 'The police arrived when rescue workers and medics were trying to save the British driver's life. The left side of his head had a large laceration and a puncture wound on the left chest from the attempts to revive him.

'The cause of death has not yet been released, but a death certificate has been issued by the Watthanapat Ao Nang Hospital.

'We don't know if he was drunk driving because he was not tested for alcohol. We could not smell any alcohol on him because the odour of blood was so strong.'

Billy was found lying on a kerb near the Khlong Ying Suea Bridge next to his shattered and overturned motorcycle. The police report said he was covered in blood from a head wound.

Investigators believe he had been driving at high speeds before losing control and crashing. They also said he was unfamiliar with the road, which contributed to the accident

Police said they were investigating the crash, which is the latest to claim the life of a tourist on the country's notoriously deadly roads.

Thailand has one of the world's worst road safety records. Ministers have set the goal of reducing fatalities from 32.7 deaths per 100,000 people to 12 per 100,000 people by the year 2027.

In popular tourism destinations, young holiday makers are able to rent scooters for as little as 200 Baht (4.50 GBP) a day, with no checks on their driving qualifications or licenses.

In April this year, Elias Giangrande, 28, and Jack Niehaus, 25, from the United States, were riding home from the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangnan island when they crashed a motorcycle at around 4.30am. Both were killed at the scene.