Drowned tourist washes ashore on beach in Thailand

A drowned tourist washed ashore on a beach amid rough seas during the monsoon rainy season in Thailand.

The woman, believed to be Chinese, was found lying face-down on Kata Beach in Phuket at around 6:10 am on August 7.

She was wearing a black two-piece swimsuit, with her face submerged in a puddle on the wet sand.

Police Captain Sanya Suksawat of the Karon Police Station said: 'The individual was wearing a black two-piece swimsuit. There appeared to be no traces of assault. We are still trying to identify her as she had no personal documents on her when she was found.'

Police believe the woman had been dead for around five hours before she was discovered.

She was taken to the Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Last week, a Chinese tourist and a Kazakhstan tourist drowned on the same day at different beaches on Phuket island.

Ka Fai Andy Che, 52, was swimming with his son Ho Wa Che, 15, when he was dragged into deeper waters by strong currents at Patong Beach on July 31. He drowned when he was swept into the red flag zone where swimming was prohibited.

Later that day, a Kazakhstan tourist, Yevgeniy Sapogov, 58, drowned at Karon Beach.

Lifeguards rescued him and rushed him to Chalong Hospital, but he died during transit.

The sea along the coast of Thailand is most dangerous between June and October when the country is going through its annual monsoon rainy season.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are in their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms in the afternoon leading to widespread flash floods.