The newborn was found left in a black fabric bag in the area at Aroonsom Square plaza at about 6am yesterday by a woman passing through the square.
Inside the bag, along with the baby swaddled in cloths, were diapers, baby clothes and a bottle of milk prepared for the newborn.
The baby was estimated to be no more than seven days old.
Patong Police Chief Col Aganit Danpitaksat told The Phuket News this afternoon (Sept 24) explained that a young woman believed to be the mother was recorded on CCTV walking up to the bench seat at 5:39am.
The woman was about 150 centimetres tall, and wearing a short skirt and a white T-shirt bearing the number 88, Col Aganit explained.
At 5:42am, the woman placed the baby on the seat and walked away, he said.
“Police managed to track the woman [through CCTV footage] to a Myanmar workers’ camp,” Col Aganit said.
“We showed a photo of the woman to workers, and one of the workers told police that the woman was also a Myanmar national. She came and showed her the child on the evening of Sept 22 [Tuesday, the day before the baby was found abandoned],” he added.
“We continued tracking down the woman and learned that she has already taken a bus to Surat Thani, but at this stage we do not know where she got off the bus,” Col Aganit noted.
Asked whether police knew her name or any other details, Col Aganit said, “No, we don’t.”
However, Col Aganit confirmed that police in Surat Thani have been notified of the woman’s description in the hope of finding her.
Officials involved in the search initially suspected that the mother had given birth while facing a “poor economic situation”, leading her to abandon the baby in the hope the baby will be better cared for.
Regardless, officers have pointed out that doing so is illegal and the authorities may have to charge her according to the law.
Meanwhile, the baby is being cared for at Patong Hospital, where at last report doctors said the infant was in good health.
Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub