A search is ongoing today for an American tourist who went missing while riding a jet ski in Thailand.

Nina Ng, 37, a nurse from New York, rented the machine from Patong Beach on the island of Phuket on Thursday, February 27 morning.

However, she was reported missing when she failed to return the rented watercraft. The jet ski, her belongings, and life vest were found around half a mile from the shore.

The Phuket Regional Harbor Office set up a command centre at the beach to facilitate the search. They have recovered the jet ski, as well as a green bag containing Nina's phone, cards, and cash.

Natchapong Pranit, director of the office, said: 'We arranged for officers to inspect the jet ski and found no signs of a collision. The jet ski is named Chalva 6 and its license will expire on January 9, 2026.

'We also contacted a nearby cruise ship named the Celebrity Millennium sailing in the area when the American disappeared. We asked to check the ship's CCTV cameras. However, the crew replied that the cameras only captured passing jet skis and did not record any suspicious incidents.'

Jet ski rental operator Saranuwat Nasok said he had set out to search for Nina after she exceeded failed to return past her alloted rental time.

He said: 'I found the jet ski parked under a kilometre from the beach. Her belongings and life jacket were on it. I called my friends for help, and we searched for around an hour but we still couldn't find her. I asked a boat driver working in the area, and he said he saw the tourist take off her life jacket to jump into the water.'

Officers said they had contacted the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. Boats and helicopters were also mobilised to continue the search.

Nina works for the American non-profit Help Me Live USA, an organisation providing medical and humanitarian services to people in Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon.

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 signages.

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.