SURAT THANI - A 23-year-old British tourist was killed by a stray bullet during a fight involving a group of Thai men in a bar at Koh Phangan's Haad Rin Beach early in the morning of New Year's day.

Stephen Ashton was with a group of friends and three hundred other tourists in the 2013 countdown party at a pub and restaurant named Zoom Bar when he was shot by a home-made gun shortly after 4am, Pol Col Kittakarn Kramomthong, chief of Koh Phangan station said.

According to witnesses who spokes to police investigators, two groups of Thai customers numbering between five and seven got into an argument which escalated into a fistfight in the crowded bar. One of the groups ran out of the bar and one man turned and fired a shot back into the bar, causing panic and chaos.

The bullet hit Ashton in the torso, seriously injuring him. He was sent to Ban Don International Hospital and was later pronounded dead.

Ashton was visiting the island with four or five friends and had stayed at Pink Bungalow on Haad Rin.

Police launched a search for a 26-year-old man identified as Ekkapan Kaewkla, or Lae Kaewkla.

About noon, a team of police led by Pol Col Kittakarn searched for the suspect who was thought to have gone into hiding up in the mountain and arrested him in tambon Ban Tai. Mr Ekkapan was found with a home-made gun believed to have been used in the shooting.

Mr Ekkapan denied he fired the shot that killed Ashton but admitted he had fought with another group of men when partying at Zoom Bar.

Pol Col Kittakarn said police had several witnesses and enough evidence to prosecute the suspect. Royal Thai Police adviser, Pol Gen Rachata Yensuang, Pol Lt Gen Kittisan Dejsoonthornwat, the Provincial Police Region 8 deputy commissioner, and Surat Thani provincial police chief Kiattipong Khaosum-ang will interrogate the suspect at Khao Phangan station at noon on Wednesday, he added.

Dansende turist myrdet ved bandeopgør
En ung britisk turist er blevet skudt under en strandfest i Thailand.

Den 22-årige britiske turist Stephen Ashton er nytårsnat blevet myrdet på den thailandske ferieø Koh Phangan.

Ashton mistede sit liv, mens han dansede.

Han deltog i en nytårsfest på stranden, og mens han i de tidlige timer af det nye år dansede løs på stranden, blev han ifølge det lokale politi ramt af en kugle i siden.

Stranden var fyldt med mennesker

Stephen Ashton ser ud til at have været et tilfældigt dødsoffer i et opgør mellem to rivaliserende, thailandske bander.

Kuglen, som ramte Ashton, blev affyret af en thailandsk mand på en af strandens barer. Politiet mener, at skudmanden sigtede på et medlem af en rivaliserende bande.

Under skyderiet var stranden fyldt med festende mennesker.

Koh Phangan er en ø, der hvert år tiltrækker i tusindvis af turister, herunder mange danskere.

Det er specielt rygsækrejsende, som finder frem til Koh Phangan ikke langt fra den også meget populære ferieø Koh Samui.

Specielt er Koh Phangan berømt for sine såkaldte "full moon" fester, der holdes hver måned i forbindelse med fuldmåne.