Police have not ruled out that the woman may have been attacked for her personal belongings but it is also feared she may have had difficulties in the sea off Naithon Beach and drowned. The search continues on Sunday amid stormy waters.
Fears are growing for a 53-year-old Russian tourist, a senior company executive who has been missing from the Naithon Beach area of Phuket since Thursday. A search involving naval and police personnel as well as rescue volunteers began again on Sunday with police not ruling out the possibility of foul play or an accident at sea.
A search is underway again in the Naithon Beach area of Phuket on Sunday following the disappearance of 53-year-old Russian woman Elena Rusradchenko who was last seen near the beach after leaving her hotel on Thursday the 20th of October.
The Russian woman was staying at the Naithonburi Hotel near the beach and was last sighted on Thursday at 11 am.
She was dressed in a blue long-sleeved garment suitable for swimming.
Fears grow for the woman’s safety after her clothing and personal items were recovered in a search
However, fears are growing for the woman’s safety after search parties found what they believe to be personal belongings of the Russian woman including her shoes, a towel and a water bottle near the beach where she went missing.
The Russian woman’s family has offered a reward of $10,000 (฿380,000) for information about her whereabouts.
At the same time, local police at Sakhu Police Station and on the island are looking at the twin possibilities that either she went into the sea and drowned in difficult and choppy waters or that she was attacked by someone, possibly for her personal items such as her phone.
On Saturday, the search for the woman, who was reported missing on Friday the 21st of October, intensified with a search centre being established by officials and a search on land and on sea commenced involving up to 100 people.
Search commenced again on Sunday morning
The search wound down on Saturday night at 9 pm but commenced again at 8.30 am on Sunday morning.
On Saturday, police and rescue personnel used 3 boats to search the water off the coast near Naithon Beach combing an area 2 to 3 km from the shore.
Naithon Beach is a more relaxed, less developed but increasingly popular tourist spot located approximately 10 to 15 km from Phuket International Airport, to the northwest of the holiday island.
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Police report that people saw the Russian woman on Thursday near the beach area after she left her hotel.
She appeared to have a preoccupied disposition.
Woman last sighted at 11 am on Thursday, reported to be preoccupied, Hotlines established for tip offs
As well as searching at sea, search parties composed of naval personnel, marine police and rescue volunteers, also scoured the land near the beach including rocks.
Saithon Beach is located in the Sakhu sub-district of the Thalang area of Phuket and the search for the missing woman is being coordinated by Deputy Governor Anuparb Rodkwan-Yodrabam.
Hotlines have been set up by Sakhu Police Station and the local subdistrict organisation on 076-328-121, -76 328-146 and 082-535-0069.
Ms Rusradchenko is understood to be a senior executive with a company who was due to depart Phuket on Saturday next, October 29th having arrived on the island on October 16th.
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Further reading:
Murder of Swiss tourist on Phuket raises the disturbing question of tourist safety in Thailand
Accused tells press he murdered the Swiss tourist last week in Phuket and stole ฿300 for drugs
Thai man sentenced to death for the Ko Si Chang murder of German woman Miriam Beelte in April
Evil struck a Thai island on Sunday when a local brutally raped and murdered a German woman
93% of Thai people want to see the death penalty put to use to curb shocking murders and drug gangs
New ‘Green’ future for tourism in Phuket as officials crack down on prostitution on the island
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