“Liliya Karmanova, 20, and Polina Likman, 21, left Thailand on Mar 23 on flight number S7 584,” Phuket Immigration Office Chief Col Kathathorn Kumthieng confirmed on Thursday (Mar 29).
However, none of various officials involved in the case were able to confirm the exact ammount of fines paid by the Russians for the violation. Earlie it was reported that under Thai law they could face a fine of up to B20,000 or up to a year in jail, or both.
Capt Channarong Prakongkue of Karon Police said, “They have already gone to court and the court has already handed them the penalty. I don’t know how much money they paid.”
“The last thing I know about the case is that they were in the hands of Phuket Immigration,” Capt Channarong added.
“We checked for their criminal history and they did not have any,” he said before abruptly ending the call.
The Phuket News contacted Nares Choopueng from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket office, who had received the tip-off that led to their arrest on Feb 1, but he was unaible to provide any updates.
“I do not have any information about how much they were fined. I have yet to follow it up,” was all he said yesterday (Mar 30).
On Feb 12, Ms Karmanova told the press in her hometown in Russia that she and her friend were released on B150,000 bail. (See story here).
Ms Karmonva was arrested after a warrant was issued, and subsequently served by the Karon Police, explained Nares Choopueng from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket office on Feb 2. (See story here).
“The DMCR Phuket office received a tip-off from a neighbour at about midday on Wednesday (Jan 31), reporting that a Russian woman was using pink Vixol (toilet bleach) to bleach pieces of coral at a bungalow in Karon,” he had explained.
DMCR officers arrived at the bungalow to find that Ms Karmonva was not at home. However, they did find pieces of corals still soaking in bleach, Mr Nares added.
“We brought the corals to the Karon Police as it is illegal to be in possession of any corals, and Capt Channarong filed a request for the Phuket Provincial Court to issue a warrant for her arrest,” he had said.