Local fisherman Phacharadanai Kingjam discovered the body on the rocks and notified police at about 9am.
The search for the tourist, Qin Yuen, began after the alarm was raised by Mr Qin’s girlfriend on Friday evening (July 26).
A joint search by Karon Police, lifeguards, rescue workers and even a Royal Thai Navy helicopter failed to locate Mr Qin, and the search was suspended in parts over the weekend due to heavy weather conditions, making it unsafe for the search party.
Mr Qin’s body was recovered by rescue workers using a dinghy and brought ashore at Pak Bang Canal, Kata Beach. It was then transported to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where a forensic doctor will conduct a thorough autopsy to confirm the cause of death before the body is released to Mr Qin’s relatives for religious ceremonies.
Mr Qin reportedly ignored red ‘no swimming’ flags to enter the water at Karon Beach where lifeguards had already marked the area too dangerous for swimming.
Mr Qin’s death comes after a spate of drownings in Phuket in recent months, particularly among foreign tourists at beaches along the island’s west coast.
Most recently, a 27-year-old Indian tourist drowned at Surin Beach last Wednesday (July 24) after becoming caught in a rip current during an early morning swim with friends.
Late last month, Viroon Chuasaman, Head Lifeguard at Surin-Bang Tao Beach, called for intensive campaigns to educate tourists of the dangers of rip currents and strong waves during the southwest monsoon to help reduce the number of people drowning at tourist-popular beaches.
Mr Viroon told The Phuket News that the current efforts of lifeguards to save tourists from drowning are merely addressing the problem’s symptoms rather than its root cause and called upon the Tourism Authority of Thailand to actively promote the dangers of ignoring red flag warnings during the monsoon season.