The confirmation came yesterday (Dec 25) after police found that the couple seen camping in the area were Frenchman Jeremy Boris Manchon, 32, of Marseille, and his partner Kongkeo Hienglangtham, 25, from Laos.
The couple were tracked down after Mayor Aroon yesterday reported that rumours had been circulating among local residents in Rawai that a couple who looked like Mr Juszkiewicz and Ms Werakan were seen camping with a tent near Bamboo Cape about one kilometer from where the missing couple were last seen, about 500 metres from Promthep Cape.
According to the reports, the couple seen at Bamboo Cape (“Laem Mai Pai”, in Thai) reportedly had a kayak matching the description of the rented one that Mr Juszkiewicz and Ms Werakan were last seen using when they disappeared on Dec 7.
The rumours said the foreign man and Thai woman acted suspiciously, refusing to meet and speak with local people, and that the couple were sleeping in a field tent in forest near the beach with a hammock tied to a pipe and they had one orange boat, Mayor Aroon explained.
“People also said that the couple had a lot of chopped wood beside their tent, which is unusual for tourists,” he added.
Officers had been dispatched to investigate, Mayor Aroon said yesterday. The officers found the tent and hammock, but failed to find the couple using the tent, he added. (See story here.)
Ms Werakan’s mother, Chudarasa Siriprakon, had previously brought the reports to the attention of the Chalong Police.
Maj Ekkachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police told The Phuket News that a team of investigators had tracked down Mr Manchon and Ms Hienglangtham by checking CCTV, and eventually found the couple at a rented house in Rawai.
The search for Mr Juszkiewicz and Ms Werakan will continue, Maj Ekkachai said.
“Officers are still working on searching on land and on sea, covering coastal areas and the nearby islands. Fishermen in six Andaman coast provinces have also been asked to help search the couple,” he added.
The families of Mr Juszkiewicz and Ms Werakan are offering rewards for information that contributes to or directly leads to finding the missing pair.
A reward of B50,000 is offered for sightings that find both of them safe. (See story here.)
English speakers with any information that may help locate the couple are urged to contact Polish private detective Krzysztof Rutkowski, who arrived in Phuket last Saturday (Dec 21) to begin his investigation.
He may be contacted by calling +48 512 058 370 or +48 512 206 030, or through his website “Patriot24” (click here) or through his Facebook page (click here).
English speakers may also call Khun Chu at 085-6542969.
Thai speakers with any information that may help locate the couple are urged to call Khun Chu at 085-6542969 or Khun Bird at 064-3429847.