Maj Ekkachai Siri said he was notified of the man’s plight at 3pm by officers answering the Tourist Police hotline 1155.
The man, David Raymond Mitchell, had tried to walk along the coast from Nai Yang Beach to Nai Thon Beach.
“However, he walked into the jungle as he wanted to avoid having to clamber over rocks along the coast,” Maj Ekkachai explained.
After six hours lost on the headland between the two beaches, Mr Mitchell gave up trying to find his way out of the jungle and called the Tourist Police hotline 1155, and gave officers his location.
A search was quickly launched by Tourist Police, accompanied by Tourist Assistance Center (TAC) officers as well as officers from the Sakoo Police and Sirinath National Park.
The search teams made their way to the location given by Mr Mitchell and found him at about 6pm. They led him back to the nearest coastline, where he was put on a search boat and taken to Nai Thon Beach, Maj Ekkachai explained.
“Mr Mitchell look exhausted, so Kusoldharm rescue workers offered him to take him to a hospital, but he declined to go,” Maj Ekkachai said.
After rescue workers administered basic first aid and made sure Mr Mitchell was in good condition, local Tourist Police officers took him back to his hotel in Patong, Maj Ekkachai added.