KOH TAO, SURAT THANI - The mother of a missing Russian woman is still pinning her hopes on the authorities continuing their search to find her even though she has been missing for almost a month.
Varvara Namestnikova said she was satisfied after getting a briefing from Surat Thani police chief Pol Maj Gen Apichart Boonsrirote on the search operation on Sunday, but was still relying on police efforts to find her 23-year-old daughter, Valentina Novozhyonova.
Police showed her CCTV footage of her daughter for the last time on Feb 15 and took her to all places Ms Novozhyonova went to on the island before she disappeared.
"Authorities are still carrying out their search until they know the reason as to why she went missing or until they find her," Pol Maj Gen Apichart told the woman.
Mrs Namestnikova lived separately with her daughter. She learned about the disappearance from a friend of her daughter in Russia and came to Koh Tao in Koh Phangan district on Saturday with relatives.
The Russian holidaymaker was reported missing to police on March 4 after she did not check out at Koh Tao Hostel on Feb 16. She had visited the island for diving.
Police believe the tourist went missing while going diving but did not rule out other possibilities.
Their prime suspect location is still Chalok Ban Kao bay and also View Point cape.
Divers resumed their search on Sunday at the two locations by diving side by side from seven metres to 17 metres deep but have not found additional evidence.