UPDATE: Police later confirmed the woman was an 80-year-old Russian national who was staying at a nearby hotel with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend. On the day of the incident, she came to play in the water alone.
Kamala Police were alerted to the incident at around 6:30pm. Officers led by Pol Lt Col Thanapop Rattanaburi, along with a forensic doctor from Vachira Phuket Hospital and rescue workers from the Kamala Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor), responded to the scene, near Ratchaprachanukroh School on Kamala Beach.
Upon arrival, they found the body of a foreign woman on the sand, with no immediate signs of injury or foul play. At last report she remained unidentified.
According to lifeguard Nitiphum Phontham, a “good Samaritan” had earlier seen the woman swimming in the area at around 4pm and had noticed she left some clothing on the beach.
Later, the same person spotted a body floating in the water and alerted lifeguards. By the time they arrived, the body had already been washed ashore.
Police confirmed there were no signs of assault or struggle during the initial examination. The body was transferred by Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation rescue workers to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
Officers said they were reviewing CCTV footage from the area and speaking with witnesses. Efforts were underway to confirm the woman’s identity so that her embassy, immigration authorities, and family could be notified.
Kamala Police confirmed that the case is being handled as a suspected drowning and that further updates will be provided once identification is confirmed.