PHUKET: A young tourist from Germany told police yesterday that she was raped by a receptionist at a popular four-star resort on Phuket's west coast.

Police were ''very, very slow'' to investigate the claims, friends of the German woman said, and the case had not been handled with care and consideration.

At one stage yesterday, attempts were made by at least one Tourist Police officer at Chalong Police Station to bring the alleged rapist to his alleged victim ''so he could apologise.''

Late last night, the receptionist from the Centara Karon Resort Phuket was being held by police in Chalong but had yet to be charged.

A bite mark that the woman said she made on the man's arm had yet to be photographed, according to the woman's friends.

The young German woman, aged 20, had qualified in her chosen profession and spent a year working in Ireland before arriving on Phuket on Saturday with an Irish friend on her way to Australia.

The German and her 23-year-old Irish friend went out to Patong on Wednesday night and the Irish girl returned to their resort room about 2am on Thursday, bothered by mosquito bites.

About 7.30am, the German girl returned to the resort, escorted by two Australian men she had met who decided to accompany her to make sure she arrived at the resort safely.

The three tried to rouse the Irish woman, who had the key card to the room, but could not awaken her.

The Australian men then walked back to the resort's reception desk to get another key card, ands returned with the receptionist, but the key brought by the receptionist failed to open the door.

Outside the door, the receptionist asked the Australians whether they were guests at the resort and, when they said they were not guests, told the Australians to leave, the German woman said. The Australians then left the resort.

The receptionist went back to the reception desk, collected another key card and returned to the German woman outside the door of her room. He then opened the door to the next room and dragged her inside, the woman told police.

After a struggle in which the guest bit the receptionist, the receptionist raped her while still wearing most of his uniform, saying ''Sorry, sorry, sorry,'' the German woman said.

After the man fled, the German woman went through the resort garden and banged on the rear glass door of her own room, managing to awaken her friend. She was in tears.

The two then telephoned an Irish man, a family friend who lives on Phuket, and the three went to Chalong police.

At one stage, the Irishman later said, six policemen entered the room to interview the alleged victim.

After the friends complained, they went to Phuket City Police Station where an interview was carried out by Phuket's only female officer, Lieutenant Nuchchari Rongkeaw.

The German woman underwent a physical check and tests at Vachira Phuket Hospital before returning to Chalong Police Station, where the alleged perpetrator was permitted to come close enough to wai and say ''hello'' before the victim complained.

Before going to Chalong Police Station, the woman, her friend, a translator and a resort representative examined the scene of the alleged crime with the investigating female police officer.

The woman is expected to take her case to Phuket Provincial Court today. She and her travelling companion moved out of the resort and are now staying with the Irish family friend.

Late last night, the receptionist continued to insist that he did not rape the woman and that sex was consensual.

Germany's honorary consul was involved in the case yesterday and the Irish honorary consul is expected to become involved today.