German man disappears from beach in central province of Thailand

A German man disappeared from Laem Sing Beach in the central province of Chanthaburi on Sunday after visiting the beach for sunbathing. Police believe he has drowned.

Thaweesak, the owner of a local food shop at the beach, notified the police after Sebastian, who was approximately 30 years old, went missing. According to Thaweesak, the German man visited his shop at 1pm on February 19 and ordered a glass of Coca-Cola before heading to the nearby beach to sunbathe.

Sebastian asked Thaweesak to watch over his bicycle and belongings, indicating he would return to collect them. However, Sebastian failed to show up and collect his possessions at 9pm, forcing Thaweesak to close his shop.

Thaweesak searched for Sebastian but only discovered a dark blue towel and a pair of sandals.

The shop owner added that a swimming mask the German brought with him was missing, leading to speculation that he might have gone swimming or diving and drowned.

Police officers were able to identify him by checking a bag he left at the restaurant which had a document written in German with his name on it. The details of the document have not been revealed.

A group of more than 20 rescuers and residents combed the 2-kilometre-long beach from 10pm to 11pm in search of the missing German man, but they were unable to locate him.

The rescue team resumed their search the following day, scouring three nearby islands – Koh Chula, Koh Noo, and Koh Nom Sao.

Local fishermen told officers that they had placed fishing nets in the sea near Koh Noo and Koh Nom Sao, making it unlikely that the German man had attempted to swim to the islands.

One witness reported seeing the man conversing with another person and gesturing toward Koh Chula, suggesting that he may have attempted to visit the island. However, the search team did not discover any evidence of him there.

Koh Chula is a small island without residents, accommodations, or restaurants. Visitors usually go to the island for fishing and snorkelling to see coral reefs. The ferry takes about 30 minutes from Laem Sing Beach to the island.

Police and rescue team believe he might have drowned while swimming. Officers have temporarily stopped searching for the man but are still monitoring the situation.