“I still believe my daughter is still alive, and I won’t stop looking for her,” Chudarasa Siriprakon, 46, told the press at the search headquarters set up at Yanui beach yesterday (Dec 10).
“The search teams have worked so hard for days and expanded the search area,” she said.
“I am confident that I will meet my daughter soon, and I believe that from my sense as a mother,” Ms Chudarasa said.
Phuket Vice Governor Supoj Rotreuang Na Nongkhai said today (Dec 11) confirmed that if the search efforts today prove fruitless, the search will continue tomorrow.
“We have not found any trace of them yet, but we will keep searching and focus more on small islands,” he said.
“We have contacted people on small islands nearby and cargo and tourist boats in the area to report any findings, but so far we have not heard any reports back,” he added.
“We will keep looking for them tomorrow,” Vice Governor Supoj assured.
FALSE ALARM
Regarding unconfirmed reports today of a life jacket being found by one of the search helicopters, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos dismissed the report, saying the item found was nothing more than orange plastic floating in the ocean.
Rawai Deputy Mayor Teerapong Taodeang was on board the helicopter at the time, Mayor Aroon said.
“Deputy Mayor Teerapong reported to me that it was just a piece of plastic, smaller than a life jacket,” he explained.
Mayor Aroon also confirmed that the orange plastic found was not from a kayak.
“It is also not from a paddle,” he added.
"We found no sign of the couple at all today,” Mayor Aroon said.