Phuket Authorizes Begin Manhunt for Murder, Rapist of Swiss Woman

Thailand’s Foreign Minister has extended his condolences to Andrea Kotas Tammathin, the honorary consul of Switzerland in Phuket over the rape and murder of a Swiss woman tourist.

Tanee Sangrat, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said on Friday that Mr Don also phoned the Swiss ambassador to Thailand to express his sympathy directly.

Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, the 57-year-old assistant protocol chief of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, was found raped and murdered at Ao Yon waterfall in in Phuket on Thursday afternoon.

Phuket governor Narong Woonciew  extended heartfelt condolences on the death of Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, who had arrived under the Phuket Sandbox reopening plan on July 13.

“On behalf of Phuket province and Phuket people, I would like to express deep condolences to the family and friends of Ms Nicole and to the Swiss Confederation,” the governor said.

He promised that everything possible would be done to ensure justice for the victim.

Honorary consul Tammathin said “I feel very bad and great sympathy for the woman who arrived as a tourist and died because of the actions of a bad person. I want police to arrest the culprit as soon as possible.”

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had also extended his condolences to the victim’s family.

The prime minister has ordered an manhunt and hopes that the killer be found quickly and that protection for tourists be improved in the national economic interest, he said.

National police chief Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk and detectives from the Crime Suppression Division arrived in Phuket on today to head the hunt for the murderer.