PHUKET: A Russian woman is under guard at a Phuket hospital around the clock to prevent her escaping after a ''kidnap'' was declared to be a simple attempt at extortion.

Phuket Police Commander Major General Ong-Art Phiwruangnont told a media conference today that he believed Yana Strizheus, 34, and her boyfriend, Alexei Slabinskiy, 39, concocted the story of a kidnap bid to extort money from Mr Slabinskiy's relatives in Russia.

Ms Strizheus was found at a Phuket hotel yesterday when staff discovered she had wounds to her neck and wrists.

Mr Slabinskiy has yet to be found. The commander believes he is still on Phuket.

The couple, who entered Thailand on visas to study the Thai language in August last year, shared a 60,000 baht a month villa in Kamala, according to the commander, and were ''working with property.''

Ms Strizheus was initially treated yesterday at Bangkok Hospital Phuket before being transferred to Vachria Phuket Hospital today with a police guard at her bedside to make sure she does not escape.

She allegedly called her boyfriend's relatives in Russia on March 7 to say the couple had been kidnapped and needed $100,000 urgently. She allegedly called again on March 13 to say that if the money was not sent, Mr Slabinskiy would be killed.

Relatives called the Tourist Police and yesterday staff at the Blue Garden Hotel in Cherng Talay reported that Ms Strizheus was in a distressed state in a room, together with empty whisky and beer bottles and damaged 100 baht Thai notes.

She was taken to hospital but failed to respond the questions and appeared to be in a state of shock.

''This is not a kidnap,'' the commander told the media conference today, ''and no Thai people were involved.''

The case is likely to trigger closer investigations of the issuing of student visas. The couple arrived in Phuket through Sadao Immigration checkpoint and had their education visas renewed on October 30.