A RUSSIAN tourist has vanished in mysterious circumstances near one of Phuket's most secluded beaches.
Adding to the riddle, the man disappeared around 4pm on Thursday but his wife only notified police that he had gone missing today. (*this information has since been updated. see the later report.)
He was last seen taking photographs of small, beautiful Ao Sane beach, near Nai Harn, Phuket's most popular southern beach.
According to locals at Ao Sane, friends who were with the man at the time told police they assumed he had gone on ahead and would return later.
Police were organising a search of the sea off Nai Harn and Ao Sane late today.
A receptionist at the Ao Sane bungalows, on the beachfront, said that locals only became aware the man had been reported missing when police began questioning them.
It is believed the Russian man was on holidays with his wife and other friends. The man's wife reported her husband missing to police at Chalong around noon today. *
An official at the Russian consulate in Karon confirmed that a missing persons report had been lodged with the police, but added that the consulate had been informed by the police, not by the man's wife.
The road to Ao Sane begins at the north end of Nai Harn and people who travel there have to drive under a large resort. The unusual journey is the legacy of a court battle about access to the beach.
Ao Sane is rocky and dangerously slippery in places.
Nai Harn has been the scene of one tragedy already this year. A 10-year-old boy on a family holiday picnic drowned on New Year's Day.
Figures published on phuketwan this afternoon show the island had 57 drownings and 153 road fatalities in 2009.
A Russian diver was killed off Pattaya earlier this year when he was struck by a speedboat.
Ao Sane was recently nominated by the editor of phuketwan on cnngo.com as one of Greater Phuket's secret delights.
Phuket Drownings Highlight Wasted LivesAdding to the riddle, the man disappeared around 4pm on Thursday but his wife only notified police that he had gone missing today. (*this information has since been updated. see the later report.)
He was last seen taking photographs of small, beautiful Ao Sane beach, near Nai Harn, Phuket's most popular southern beach.
According to locals at Ao Sane, friends who were with the man at the time told police they assumed he had gone on ahead and would return later.
Police were organising a search of the sea off Nai Harn and Ao Sane late today.
A receptionist at the Ao Sane bungalows, on the beachfront, said that locals only became aware the man had been reported missing when police began questioning them.
It is believed the Russian man was on holidays with his wife and other friends. The man's wife reported her husband missing to police at Chalong around noon today. *
An official at the Russian consulate in Karon confirmed that a missing persons report had been lodged with the police, but added that the consulate had been informed by the police, not by the man's wife.
The road to Ao Sane begins at the north end of Nai Harn and people who travel there have to drive under a large resort. The unusual journey is the legacy of a court battle about access to the beach.
Ao Sane is rocky and dangerously slippery in places.
Nai Harn has been the scene of one tragedy already this year. A 10-year-old boy on a family holiday picnic drowned on New Year's Day.
Figures published on phuketwan this afternoon show the island had 57 drownings and 153 road fatalities in 2009.
A Russian diver was killed off Pattaya earlier this year when he was struck by a speedboat.
Ao Sane was recently nominated by the editor of phuketwan on cnngo.com as one of Greater Phuket's secret delights.
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A week goes by before you think one of your family are missing, me thinks a fishy story here ??? Keep pushing the buttons, something is bound to come up, er sorry about the pun.
Posted by Graham on January 18, 2010 19:13