Asean Now summary of the ongoing incident
Police in Chonburi are continuing to search for Russian siblings Diana Nazimova, 22, and Roman Nazimova, 17, who disappeared after leaving their Huay Yai home before dawn on 26 July 2026.
The case intensified after parts of their Honda ADV motorcycle, registration 4 Kor Sor 6379 Chonburi, were found buried in two locations at the old Thung Luang cemetery in Bang Lamung district. More than 200 police, officials, rescue workers and local residents were deployed in the surrounding forest on 29 July, but the pair had not been found by that evening.
Timeline of the disappearance
At about 4am on 26 July, the brother and sister left their home at Bristol Park village in Huay Yai on the Honda motorcycle. Their family believes they were heading to a convenience store, but they then lost contact.
CCTV reviewed by police reportedly showed the two travelling back from the Map Ta Phut-Najomtien motorway towards a parallel road. They stopped for around two minutes to speak with unidentified men on another motorcycle, before all travelled in the direction of Chak Ngaeo Road near Wat Yang Yai.
Their mother, Zarina, reported them missing at Huay Yai Police Station on 28 July. She told officers that neither sibling could speak Thai, adding to the family's concerns. Police began reviewing cameras along possible routes and appealed for public information.
Motorcycle parts found in old cemetery
On the morning of 29 July, local leaders found dismantled motorcycle parts buried at the old Thung Luang cemetery, Moo 9, Huay Yai, near Chak Taeng junction and about 200 metres from the Najomtien-Map Ta Phut motorway road.
Officers found the motorcycle separated and buried in two pits roughly 100 metres apart. One contained suspension parts, front and rear wheels, the engine and body panels. The other contained the frame, seat, handlebars and further bodywork.
Chonburi Forensic Science officers seized the parts for DNA, bloodstain and fingerprint examinations. Police said the discovery shifted their work from a missing-person search to a full criminal investigation.
A search involving Huay Yai Police, Chonburi Provincial Police, Tourist Police, district officials, forensic officers and Sawang Boriboon rescue volunteers covered the forest using drones and teams on foot.
Suspects still being sought
Investigators are checking roads into and out of the forest, including Chak Taeng Road and motorway connections, while seeking four suspects reportedly seen fleeing as officers approached the area.
Police are also examining links to a man known as "Pong", but stressed that he remains only a person of interest and has not been charged or found guilty of any offence.
Villagers told reporters they had heard multiple gunshots about 500 metres from the burial site on one or two recent nights. Tourist Police later searched that area, where there was a suspicious foul smell, dense vegetation, an abandoned factory and a cattle area. They found discarded bedding, a jar of Vaseline, shoes and old clothing, but could not establish any connection to the case.
Officers also dug into and inspected a charcoal kiln in the forest, without finding further evidence. The search was halted when heavy rain fell and darkness set in, with civilians asked to leave because suspects were reportedly believed to be armed.
At 4pm on 29 July, police surrounded a house in Moo 11, Huay Yai, after reports that Pong and a man named Thong were hiding there. Neither was found. The homeowner, Thong’s sister, said the two men had arrived at about 10am on 26 July, muddy, stayed for around an hour and then left. She also told investigators that Pong told her that he was a police officer and armed.
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30 July 2026
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