British backpacker Jack Davies, 21, found dead on Thai island

Jack "touched the heart and soul" of those he met, a relative said

Jack Davies, known to his friends as Jay, pictured in on 24 July 2014 (Facebook/Inga Nelson)

The parents of a backpacker from Wales have paid tribute to their son, after he suddenly died in Thailand on Sunday.

21-year-old Jack Davies from Carmarthenshire, known to his friends as Jay, had been working on Ko Phi Phi island near Phuket for three years before he died.

Thai investigators are now attempting to identify the cause of his death, and government officials are providing consular assistance to his family, the Llanelli Star reported.

Mr Davies was a former pupil of Old Road Primary School, Bryngwyn Comprehensive and Coleg Sir Gar, and had flown 6,000 miles to Thailand to pursue his dream of travelling.

In a statement, his parents Christine and Jonathan Davies said of their only child: “He was a lovely boy and everybody loved him.”

His friends also paid tribute to the young man they called a “little legend” from Llanelli.

A view from Ko Phi Phi Don in the Andaman Sea, where Jack Davies lived (Dean Treml/Red Bull via Getty Images)

Relative Steve Davies wrote: “This little legend has touched the heart and soul from every corner. Such an ambassador for our family ..Bless him.”

Amee Carroll posted on Jack's page: “The world has certainly lost a very special person, he will be sadly missed xxx.”

Lucy Dixon wrote: “Not only have you left footprints in paradise, you've left footprints across everyone's heart. Sleep tight buddy RIP xxx.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the death of a British national in Ko Phi Phi, Thailand on 24 August 2014. We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”