Surat Thani – Police in this southern province have assembled a team of Thai and foreign divers to search for a Russian woman who disappeared from Koh Tao island in the middle of the night last month, Thai News Agency said today (March 6).
Pol Lt Col Chokchai Sutthimet, chief inspector at Koh Tao police station, said yesterday police officers and volunteers searched for Ms Valentina Novozhyonova, 23, both at sea, land and foothills and also looked at footage of closed circuit TV around Chalok Bay but did not find any trace of her.
Police have not ruled out any possibility in her disappearance but are focusing more on diving because this is Ms Valentina’s favorite pastime.
The team of Thai and foreign divers including some Russians who are on Koh Tao will dive into the water to search for her this afternoon as she might have run into an accident or gone off in the wrong direction or perhaps even be within some rocky recesses.
Ms Vatentina reached Koh Tao and checked into a hotel here on February 11 and people last saw her on February 15 with there only being her belongings left behind in the hotel room.
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Top: An image of Ms Valentina Novozhyonova. Photo: Thai News Agency
Inset: Surat Thani police plan their search for Ms Vatentina . Photo: Thai News Agency