Thai man acts out rape and murder of backpacker to police

Miriam Beelte, 26, from Hildesheim, Germany.

An accused killer has shown police how he smashed a backpacker's head with a brick after raping her and dumping her corpse on an idyllic Thai island.

Miriam Beelte, 26, from Hildesheim, Germany, was travelling on the island of Koh Sichang, off the coast of eastern Thailand, when she was reportedly raped and murdered by local man Ronnakorn Romruen, 24.

Romruen was arrested on suspicion of raping and killing the German tourist on the island of Koh Si Chang in the Gulf of Thailand.

Thai suspect Ronnakorn Romruen, is escorted by police as he arrives at the Koh Sichang police station in Chonburi province, Thailand. Photo / AP

An investigator at Chonburi police station, Somkid Kaensa, said police charged Ronnakorn with murder, rape and concealing a body.

Police said the suspect, who operates a trash collecting boat, admitted to the crimes and said he used drugs before the incident.

Police Colonel Angkul Sarakul: "The suspect was brought to the station in the early hours of the morning.

"Based on his confessions, he will be charged with premeditated murder, rape and concealing a body.

"The body of the victim will be sent to the forensic hospital for a full examination to find the exact cause of death."

Fateful final trip

The German tourist had been travelling alone and holidaying in the nearby city of Pattatya when she decided to take a boat into the island.

Police said after Beetle rented a motorbike, Romruen initiated a conversation and asked her for sex.

The man re-enacted the moment he killed the backpacker. Photo / Supplied

After she refused, he followed her and then pinned her down to sexually assault her.

Police said he admitted raping Miriam while he was high on drugs - four hours after he was interrogated.

He said he murdered her to stop her from reporting the incident.

Romruen was arrested shortly after Beetle's body was found - and later re-enacted the attack with in a police station.

The body of the 27-year-old tourist with injuries on head and legs was found Sunday hidden under rocks and a pile of leaves.

Koh Si Chang is a popular weekend tourist destination for both locals and foreigners with a population of only 5000 people. The island is in Chonburi province, about 64km south of Bangkok.

Somkid said a Thai tourist called police after they saw Ronnakorn's clothes covered in blood and police then searched the area and discovered the tourist's body.

Somkid said a flower vendor who knew Ronnakorn also saw that his clothes were covered in blood and asked him what he was doing. Somkid said the vendor identified Ronnakorn for police, who went to his home where they found him and the shirt that was covered in blood.

The maximum punsihment for premeditated murder is the death penalty.

- additional reporting AP, The Sun