An Australian tourist is missing after swimming at a Phuket beach known for its treacherous conditions, reports say.
Karon Beach in Phuket, one of Thailand's deadliest.
Jennifer Laidley, 44, a nurse who travelled to Thailand with her friend Lisa Crosland, went swimming at Karon Beach about 7pm on Monday night and has not been seen since.
A search of the beach by the Thai royal navy, marine police, lifeguards and local police was undertaken yesterday but the Queanbeyan woman was not found, Alan Morison, the editor of Phuketwan.com, said.
Ms Crosland said she did not think the swim was “such a crash hot idea”.
“The waves were big, crashing you around … I was a bit of a chicken, really.”
Ms Crosland, also 44, said she went back to her resort accommodation to retrieve her glasses, but saw no sign of her friend of 20 years when she returned to the beach. She reported her friend missing at 7.45pm.
Mr Morison said Karon Beach was known for its dangerous conditions, especially during the April to November monsoon season.
Nine people died at Karon Beach between April 2010 and February this year, he said.
“Hope is fading. Even though the water is warm, the likelihood is she’s been drowned,” he told reporters this afternoon.
“Karon Beach is notorious for its dangers and its treachery at this time of year. The lifeguards have a serious problem because it’s got a four-to-five-kilometre stretch of beach, and they do try very hard to get people to swim between the flags, but if people come down and swim at dusk at they’ve packed up shop, it makes it extremely difficult.
“The lifeguard system here is a relatively new development and they are at the moment lifeguards rather than lifesavers. There’s been great improvement in terms of training and equipment but it’s not near Australian standards yet.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said Australian consular officials in Thailand were in touch with Thai authorities and Ms Crosland.
