Police are investigating the death of a Russian tourist who is believed to have drowned on a beach in Thailand.

Officers were alerted about the female holidaymaker who was washed ashore at Kamala Beach in Phuket at around 6:30 pm local time on Monday.

The woman, identified by authorities as Liudmila Glazovskaia, 80, reportedly went paddling in the water but was later found motionless on the surface.

Lifeguard Nitiphum Phontham said the pensioner was earlier seen leaving her clothes and sandals on the sand. He called police when her corpse was discovered lying on the shore.

Police Colonel Anurak Parinyasathirakun, Superintendent of Kamala Police Station, said today: 'Today, the relatives of the deceased came to the station to present her documents and give statements to the investigators.

'The deceased was a Russian national named Liudmila Glazovskaia, aged 80. It was learned that she was traveling with her child and her daughter's partner. Local residents saw her swimming alone around 4 PM, having left some of her clothes on the beach.

'Later, someone noticed a body floating in the water and alerted the lifeguards. When the lifeguards arrived, they found her body had been washed ashore. She was the same woman who had earlier gone into the sea. There were no signs of a struggle or assault. Her body has been sent for a detailed forensic examination.'

Liudmila arrived in Phuket on July 30 and had been staying at the Kamala Beach Estate hotel before her death.

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.