On Sunday night, two French tourists were lost on the hills above Nai Thon beach in Tambon Sakhu of Thalang district, on the north-west coast of the island, near the airport. They called for help around 10pm and reported that they were lost in a forested area. A search team was formed consisting of local officials, police, rangers and villagers, who began their search right away.
After a two-hour walk and nearly three kilometres, the searchers found the French tourists, a man named Victor and his girlfriend, waiting in the dark on the mountain. They were in good health, except for a few scratches, and were safely guided back to their hotel.
The couple had arrived on Phuket on Sunday and checked into a hotel near the airport. They went for a walk on a local beach and followed a trail up the nearby hills, but they were unable to find their way back. Luckily, they still had a phone signal and were able to call the tourist police using WhatsApp. They sent their location and photos of their surroundings to the police.
According to Pol Col Salan Santisananakul, the chief of Sakhu police station… “the couple had a phone signal and were able to call the tourist police number 1155 using WhatsApp. They then sent their location and photos of their surroundings to the police.”
