French woman missing in dense jungle on Koh Adang, southern Thailand

A search party has been launched after a French woman went missing in the jungle on Koh Adang island in Satun province in southern Thailand yesterday, reports the Phuket Express.

The tourist, 29 year old Claire Maire Theophane Drapeau, was last spotted veering off the trail into the jungle near a viewpoint on the island sometime yesterday. Satun Police were notified via a 191 emergency call.

Police in Satun say that Drapeau was staying at a resort on the nearby Koh Lipe island and travelled to Koh Adang alone. The search was called off when it got dark yesterday and resumed early this morning.

The island, being part of Tarutao National Park, is not developed for tourists like its neighbour Koh Lipe. Its mountainous interior is covered in dense jungle. There are two waterfalls on the 30 square kilometre island – the second biggest in the national park.

According to the Department of National Parks…

“Adang Island. with a steep and rugged landscape almost completely covered by tropical rainforest, maybe the most wild and appealing of the islands.”

Earlier this week, a 73 year old Frenchman got lost in the forest around Khao Eto in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand after straying from the trail.

After spending nearly 24 hours alone in the jungle, the Frenchman found his way down the mountain and stumbled into a bamboo plantation in Noen Mai Hom village. Locals contacted forest officials and the tourist’s wife to come and pick him up.

Last week, two Russian tourists were rescued after getting lost in the jungle in Phuket. In February, French tourists were also rescued from the jungle in Phuket.

In January, two British and one Dutch tourist were saved from the dark jungle near Khao Ra on Koh Pha Ngan island. The tourists had taken an old trail that is no longer used and overgrown.