Police in Chonburi have confirmed that two missing Russian siblings have still not been found, while officers continue the separate effort to locate two Thai men wanted under arrest warrants in connection with the case, despite inaccurate earlier local news reports, from police that they had been caught.

The update followed a near two-hour case review at Huai Yai Police Station on 30 July 2026. Investigators are working on the search for the missing Russians and the hunt for the two suspects at the same time.

Police review evidence and search plans

The meeting took place in the third-floor conference room at Huai Yai Police Station in Chonburi province. It was led by Pol Maj Gen Chokchai Ngamwong, deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 2.

Also attending were Pol Maj Gen Phongphan Wongmanithet, Chonburi provincial police commander; Pol Col Phatsakorn Phraijit, chief of the Chonburi Provincial Police investigation division; Pol Col Worawut Nitiyawan, Huai Yai police chief; and relevant investigation officers.

Police reviewed their investigation so far, examined evidence gathered and assessed how to track down the men named in arrest warrants: 43-year-old Thana, known as "Pong", and 39-year-old Thongchai, known as "Thong".

Officers have not disclosed detailed information about the case, saying this could affect the investigation. Searches of areas considered suspicious are continuing, alongside the collection of further evidence and the operation to find the suspects.

Police confirmed they had searched multiple locations, including a crocodile farm in Huai Yai, after a witness reported seeing a suspect on the property before disappearing near the crocodile ponds, but nothing was reported to have been found.

No arrests and no sign of missing pair

Provincial Police Region 2 commissioner Pol Lt Gen Chatchai Surachetphong confirmed that neither Pong nor Thong had been arrested.

He said officers were still discussing and pursuing methods to locate the two men while accelerating the search for the Russian siblings. He also confirmed that the missing pair had not been found.

Police said any information that can be made public will be formally announced when there is further progress.

Huay Yai police free two witnesses

Police have also released two men questioned over the disappearance of Russian siblings, after several hours of questioning without charges.

Huai Yai Police said the pair, known as Hoy or Suea Hoy and Phang, had been invited in as witnesses rather than detained as suspects.

Hoy and Phang were taken in by a police tracking team around midday on 30 July 2026, after officers found leads suggesting they may have been involved in burying and concealing the missing siblings' motorcycle.

They were also alleged to have driven a sidecar motorcycle, locally known as a saleng, which was used to take Pong and Thong away from the area while police were surrounding it.

After lengthy questioning at Huai Yai Police Station, investigators released both men without laying charges. Police said they were questioned to clarify outstanding issues and gather information for the continuing investigation.

Woman makes separate allegations against Pong

Separately, a woman told reporters that she had allegedly been sexually assaulted and unlawfully confined by Pong about seven years ago. She said he had threatened to kill her entire family, leaving her fearful ever since.

The woman further alleged that Pong worked for a local police officer who provided assistance or protection. She also claimed the officer had instructed Pong to distribute drugs to young people in the area.

Those allegations remain claims by the woman and are being checked by authorities.

Picture courtesy of Khaosod

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31 July 2026

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This story just gets more strange by the day...

Police had the two suspects in custody, but let them go?

How on earth...

What is that poor dog going to fing? He looks malnourished

41 minutes ago, thaibreaker said:

Police had the two suspects in custody, but let them go?

How on earth...

Police had 2 witnesses in for questioning.

The article never says that they had the suspects in custody.

Crocodile farm ? My God.

This must be horrendous for the family.

Crocodile ponds? It smells fishy.

🐊

🐊

🐊

🐊

🐊

59 minutes ago, thaibreaker said:

Police had the two suspects in custody, but let them go?

How on earth...

They were not suspects, teadcthe article

Yes a interesting case of the 2 missing Russians what's the Motive money ransom drugs ?

Hopefully they will turn up safe

35 minutes ago, ChiTownEric said:

Police had 2 witnesses in for questioning.

The article never says that they had the suspects in custody.

Yes, got that now, but I was referring to the local news yesterday, where two suspects supposedly were apprehended. According to this article, they were only witnesses, so the local news yesterday was incorrect.

Sounded for me for a moment that they were apprehended, questioned, let go, and now suspected again after more investigation.

But they are obviously looking for two others.

Edited July 31Jul 31 by thaibreaker

UPDATE

Pattaya search continues for missing Russian siblings

Picture courtesy of Amarin

More than 100 rescue volunteers have been put on standby as the search continues for two Russian siblings who disappeared in the early hours of July 26.

Diana Nazimova, 22, and her 17-year-old brother Roman Nazimova have not been found. Two men wanted under arrest warrants in connection with the case, known as Pong and Thong, remain at large after reportedly escaping a police and military checkpoint in Chanthaburi early on July 31.

Search centre set up in Pattaya

At 9am on July 31, Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Pattaya rescue workers opened a command centre to receive information from the public on the missing Russian tourists.

More than 100 volunteers have been assigned to the operation and are ready to deploy as soon as fresh information emerges. The search has entered its third day, according to Suttipong Boonmachai, head of the operational team.

He said there was still no new lead identifying where Diana or Roman might be. Teams have continued searching suspected locations, including ponds, areas where smoke was previously seen and sites which had not yet been fully checked.

A field kitchen has also been established to support personnel from the rescue services, local administration, police, media and volunteers working in the area.

Suttipong said numerous tips had been received from the public over the past three days. While none has led to the missing pair, he said the information had helped investigators better understand the suspects' movements and narrow the areas targeted in the search.

Anyone with information about the suspects, their vehicle or the missing siblings has been asked to contact the command centre at Chak Ngaew Cemetery so officers can investigate promptly.

Suspects reportedly evade checkpoint

Reports that Pong and Thong had been detained on the evening of 30 July, were incorrect, officials confirmed.

Police reported that they had detected the movements of the two men in Makham district, Chanthaburi, on July 30, as they were travelling towards Sa Kaeo province. A motorcycle approached the Khao Laem checkpoint at 13:08, in Soi Dao district, Chanthaburi, where police and soldiers were conducting checks.

One rider was wearing items resembling that worn by police officers. The motorcycle then accelerated through the checkpoint and escaped before officers could stop it.

Authorities have confirmed and identified the pair as Pong and Thong. Investigators believe a white plastic bag seen in CCTV footage from Bang Lamung district, carried by the two men, may have contained clothing or equipment resembling police uniforms to assist their escape. That point remains under investigation.

31 July 2026

Story keeps getting crazier. The effort put into accomplishing these tasks definitely points to someone with the money or contacts to complete whatever the objective is.

UPDATE

Thai suspect's wife urges surrender in Russian siblings case

Pictures courtesy of SiamRath

Police in Chon Buri are continuing searches for two missing Russian siblings, while the wife of one of two fugitive suspects has appealed for him to hand himself in.

Thanat, known as "Pong", 43, and Thongchai, known as "Thong", 39, are wanted on allegations of jointly committing night-time theft using a vehicle, or receiving stolen property. Police say both are also connected to the disappearance of the Russian children, whose fate remains unknown.

Search teams have continued to check suspected locations in the Huai Yai area of Bang Lamung district.

Wife believes Thong may have been threatened

At 9.30am on 31 July, reporters visited a makeshift shelter in Moo 9, Huai Yai, about 100 metres from where motorcycle parts were buried.

Som, 34, Thong's wife, said they had been together for about a year. She said her husband had known Pong only briefly and was not particularly close to him, but that the pair met through a group using methamphetamine and crystal meth.

She claimed Pong had recently been released from prison when he began spending time with Thong. Som also alleged that Pong once tried to rape her at her sleeping place, but Thong saw what was happening and intervened.

Som said it was her belief that Thong may initially have tried to help the Russian siblings escape and get away from Pong after learning that Pong had possibly assaulted them. However, she believed Pong may have threatened him into becoming involved.

She last saw Thong on the morning of Monday, 27 July, when he came to see her and left 100 baht. He has not returned since. Som urged him to surrender, saying he would not escape justice by running.

CCTV places both men near burial site

A 56-year-old man identified only as Kon, who said he often went fishing with Thong, told reporters he saw Thong riding a red Honda Wave motorcycle near cattle pens close to the motorcycle burial site on either 28 or 29 July.

Kon said he was certain it was Thong. He also suggested Thong, whom he described as fearful and someone who had never fought with anyone, may have become caught up in the alleged offence after being threatened by Pong, who he said had a gun.

Dashboard-camera footage supplied by a local resident reportedly shows two men, identified by witnesses as Pong and Thong, leaving Thung Luang Soi on separate motorcycles at 6.07am on 29 July. One was a red Honda Wave, matching Kon's account. The camera was less than 100 metres from the motorcycle burial site.

31 July 2026

life is very cheap in Thailand

UPDATE

Sa Kaeo checkpoints tightened in Russian disappearance hunt

UPDATE

Missing Russians: Thong arrested as Pong flees into forest

Do we know if Pong, aside from being a bit of a scary guy according to a friend, was also a known drug dealer? A working assumption, which could be very wrong since so few details have been released by police, is the two young siblings went out to buy drugs, given the time they went out at 4:30 am. Also, the mother was quoted somewhere I think in the first article, that she saw them go out but thought they were going to a convenience store. That's very fishy. If the drug motive is correct - who were the drugs for? And was there anyone else at home with their mother at that time? Not sure if any of these things have been reported, maybe and I might have missed some of it.

UPDATE

Missing Russians were killed, claims suspects on arrest

A horrific tale- and a double tragedy for the children and their family and friends

The full story I hope will clarify so much speculation

RIP to the very young victims

5 hours ago, smew said:

life is very cheap in Thailand

Life is cheap everywhere.

Bodies found, confessions made. Motive to steal bike.

14 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Bodies found, confessions made. Motive to steal bike.

No bodies yet...confessions yes.

31 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Bangkok Post

They didn't say bodies found...they said an area was being searched after confessions. read correctly.

"Ai Pong" confessed to killing two Russian siblings, shooting the younger brother twice and punching the older sister to death while she tried to help her brother. He then buried their bodies near Khao Chi Chan. His motive was to steal their motorcycle, but he denied raping the victims. Authorities are currently preparing to excavate the area where "Pong and Thong" stated they buried the bodies.

30 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

"Ai Pong" confessed to killing two Russian siblings, shooting the younger brother twice and punching the older sister to death while she tried to help her brother. He then buried their bodies near Khao Chi Chan. His motive was to steal their motorcycle, but he denied raping the victims. Authorities are currently preparing to excavate the area where "Pong and Thong" stated they buried the bodies

I hope Pong gets the death penalty.

21 hours ago, thaibreaker said:

Police had the two suspects in custody, but let them go?

How on earth...

I always thought that to dismantle the bikes you're going to need tools, question is did the 2 released dismantle the bikes and bury them, were they mechanics of some sort and why were they released??

Police involvement now in question, and crocodiles, we're the siblings fed to the crocs this is indead a nasty story and does serious damage to Thailand tourism

Let me get this straight...

They randomly saw two Russian teenagers who inexplicably got up at 4am to go somewhere far away and killed them because they wanted to steal their motorcycles which they instead buried risking their lives next to an alligator pond ❓

Makes perfect sense. 😂

9 hours ago, couchpotato said:

No bodies yet...confessions yes.

They didn't say bodies found...they said an area was being searched after confessions. read correctly.

I was factually correct. The bodies had been found at the time.

2 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

I always thought that to dismantle the bikes you're going to need tools, question is did the 2 released dismantle the bikes and bury them, were they mechanics of some sort and why were they released??

Police involvement now in question, and crocodiles, we're the siblings fed to the crocs this is indead a nasty story and does serious damage to Thailand tourism

The siblings were finally found, buried in the forest somewhere in Huay Yai, Chonburi.

I live in that area, so this hit hard for me, and must be devastating for their mother.

Rest in peace.

Edited August 1Aug 1 by thaibreaker