Pictures of killed British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge and a message of support to their friends and families are displayed during special prayers at Koh Tao island September 18, 2014. 
 
 BANGKOK Thailand's tourism minister said on Tuesday that identification wristbands would be distributed to tourists following the murder of two British backpackers earlier this month that has raised fresh concerns over tourist safety. 
 
 Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said she had approached hotels over the idea of handing out wristbands to help identify tourists that get lost or into trouble. 
 
 "When tourists check-in to a hotel they will be given a wristband with a serial number that matches their I.D. and shows the contact details of the resort they are staying in so that if they're out partying late and, for example, get drunk or lost, they can be easily assisted," Kobkarn told Reuters. 
 
 "The next step would be some sort of electronic tracking device but this has not yet been discussed in detail." 
 
 She added that a "buddy system", pairing tourists with a local minder at tourist destinations, was also being discussed. 
 
 The bodies of Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on a beach on the southern island of Koh Tao, or Turtle Island, on Sept. 15. 
 
 Post-mortem examinations by Thailand's forensics department showed Witheridge died from severe head wounds and Miller died from drowning and blows to the head. 
 
 Almost three weeks after the murder police are no closer to an arrest as frustration mounts over the lack of a breakthrough. 
 
 Kobkarn admitted the wristband idea has already met with some resistance. "Most people welcome the idea but some hotels are concerned that tourists may not want to wear the wristbands." 
 
 Limiting party hours on some of Thailand's islands and imposing restrictions over where beach parties can be held were also being considered, said Kobkarn. The idea is unlikely to go down well with hoards of young backbackers who travel to Thailand each year in search of sun, sea and a good time. 
 
 Authorities have expressed concern over the murders' impact on tourism, which accounts for nearly 10 percent of GDP. 
 
 Thailand is still under martial law after a May 22 coup, something that has made many tourists think twice about traveling to the country. 
 
 The industry has yet to recover from a slump in visitors due to months of sometimes violent street protests that left nearly 30 people dead. Tourists arriving in Thailand fell 11.9 percent in August from a year earlier after a 10.9 percent drop in July. 
 
 (Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Michael Perry) 

 The brutal murder of two British backpackers has forced Thai authorities to re-evaluate safety measures for tourists. 
 
 Thailand's tourism minister says tourists will be forced to wear identification wristbands and could be electronically tracked after Hannah Witheridge, 23, and David Miller, 24, were found on a beach on the southern island of Koh Tao. 
 
 What are your thoughts on the safety measure? Have your say on our Facebook page. 
 
 Last photo of slain British tourists partying together in Thailand 
 
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 Their murders have sparked debate and concern about how safe Thailand's islands are for tourists, as police have failed to arrest a suspect - and still have no strong leads in capturing them. 
 
 The Phuket News reported that Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said she had already contacted hotels and discussed the idea of giving out wristbands so tourists could be easily found. 
 
 "When tourists check-in to a hotel they will be given a wristband with a serial number that matches their I.D. and shows the contact details of the resort they are staying in so that if they're out partying late and, for example, get drunk or lost, they can be easily assisted," Kobkarn said. 
 
 She also said that tourists could wear an electronic tracking device, but a decision on this would not be made straight away. 
 
 "The next step would be some sort of electronic tracking device but this has not yet been discussed in detail," she said. 
 
 A "buddy system" was another idea being proposed, where tourists would travel with a local minder at tourist destinations. 
 
 Kobkarn added that discussions about Thailand's safety for tourists has also looked at creating party curfews for islands, and restricting where beach parties can be held. 
 
 The murders have rocked the normally laid-back holiday island, which is popular with divers, and delivered a fresh blow to Thailand's image as a tourist haven after months of political protests that ended in May's army coup.
– With the grisly murder of two British tourists making headlines worldwide, Thailand is considering a tourist-tagging system. Visitors to the country could be given bracelets with serial numbers and the contact details of their hotels "so that if they're out partying late and, for example, get drunk or lost, they can be easily assisted," tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul tells Reuters. Another option, she says, is "some sort of electronic tracking device," though details haven't yet been discussed. "Most people welcome the idea" of some kind of bracelet, Kobkarn says, though "some hotels are concerned" that tourists won't be thrilled about them. Then there's the idea of a "buddy system" that would see tourists accompanied by locals during visits to various popular spots, TVNZ reports. Partying curfews on some islands are also a possibility, as is barring beach parties in certain locations. Meanwhile, the deaths of David Miller and Hannah Witheridge remain a mystery.