Czech tourist found dead washed ashore on island after going missing during night out
A Czech tourist was found dead after going missing during a night out on a Thai party island.
Vilma Simkova, 34, from Jablonec nad Nisou, had spent the evening drinking with a male friend on Koh Phi Phi island in Krabi, southern Thailand, before they parted ways shortly before midnight on Monday.
But instead of heading to her hotel, she is believed to have gone into the sea alone without telling her companion.
CCTV footage shows Vilma shuffling across the deserted beach before sitting in the shallow water as waves lapped the shoreline.
The allegedly intoxicated holidaymaker was reportedly swept into the sea and failed to return to her room.
Her friend said he had tried to look for her but was unable to reach her.
Horrified locals later found Vilma's corpse lying on rocks on a beach in front of the Phi Phi Relax Hotel at around 9 am local time the next morning.
Police arrived at the scene, where they found Vilma's blue dress had slipped down to her waist, leaving her upper body exposed.
Investigators said no signs of assault were found, though she had suffered minor abrasions believed to have been caused by hitting the rocks.
Officers estimated she had been dead for around eight to nine hours.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Aut Thansri, an investigating officer at Koh Phi Phi Police Station, said CCTV footage from the hotel supported her friend's account, showing the woman entering the water alone.
He said: 'We have checked the CCTV footage and it clearly shows the woman walking into the sea alone at around 12.45am.
'She went into the water by herself to swim and subsequently drowned.
'However, the doctor has not carried out an autopsy yet, so the exact cause of death has not been officially confirmed.
'Her body has been sent to Vachira Phuket Hospital for a post-mortem examination.'
Police are also coordinating with the Czech embassy to notify her relatives.
Koh Phi Phi is a popular backpacker haven in southern Thailand, known for its limestone cliffs, clear waters, white-sand beaches, and lively nightlife.
Beach drownings are a recurring safety concern in Thailand, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi. The deaths often attributed to strong rip currents, lack of swimming skills, and disregard for warning signs.
The waters are most dangerous during the country's rainy monsoon season, when red flags are placed in beaches to warn of dangerous sea conditions.
