Sorasak Rananan, Head of Sirinat National Park, was notified of the missing Russians ‒ Alexandr Simakov, 37, and Ekaterina Simakov, 40 ‒ at 10pm.
The call, from the Phuket Tourist Police, asked for national park officers to join a search for the couple, who were believed to be halfway between Nai Thon and Nai Yang beaches.
The search party included park officers, Phuket Tourist Police, the village headman and volunteers from Moo 4 Sakhu, and the rescue team from Sakhu Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor).
The tourists were finally found near the rocks in the Khao Sai Khu area at about 12:50am, Mr Sorasak reported.
The pair had suffered minor abrasions and one had an injured foot, but were led out of the jungle area to safety and received first aid before being taken to hospital as a precaution, Mr Sorasak said.
The tourists became lost after taking a walk along Nai Yang Beach, then continuing their journey into the jungle southwards into the Khao Sai Khu area in Sirinat National Park, Mr Sorsak added.
“They became lost, and were still in the forest until dusk and couldn’t find a way out, so they contacted Tourist Police to ask for help,” Mr Sorasak said.
The Tourist Police last year relaunched their ‘I Lert U’ app, available on Google Play and the App Store.
The app is in English and Thai, and is linked to the Tourist Police 1155 Emergency Response Centre.