The mine, situated on private land, has since become a focal point for local authorities.
Prayut Rattanawan, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office, has instructed the Thalang District Fisheries Office and coordinated with local officials, including to inspect the site.
A video clip and photographs suggest that the reptile is a freshwater crocodile, approximately two metres in length.
For safety reasons, security officers at the golf course have been ordered to monitor the area closely and prohibit any unauthorised access to the mine.
Provincial fisheries officials have strictly prohibited swimming in the mine and are coordinating efforts with the specialised ‘Kraithong’ team of crocodile catchers from the Department of Fisheries in Surat Thani to ensure the safe capture and relocation of the crocodile.
In case the ‘Kraithong’ team are not able to respond in time, Nikhom Suksawat, an expert from Panya Farm Crocodile Catching and Conservation Training Center in Nakhon Pathom Province has been contacted and is expected to capture the crocodile tonight.
Local residents and golf course visitors are advised to stay clear of the area until the situation is fully resolved.
The ‘Kraithong’ team of croc hunters have made a name for themselves in Phuket. They were last called to the island in 2021 to locate and catch a crocodile seen near Chalong Pier.
The ‘Kraithong Lumnamtapi’ team were also called in to catch the female croc ‘Yanui’, which they trapped in nets near the rocks off Koh Kata, just offshore from Layan Beach, in 2018.