PATTAYA, THAILAND – The body of a Russian tourist who fell from a tour boat off Pattaya was recovered in the Gulf of Thailand two days after he went missing.
Body recovered off Koh Larn
Authorities said the remains of 61-year-old Russian visitor Andrey Cherbakov were found drifting about 4 to 5 nautical miles off Koh Larn and roughly 8 nautical miles from Jomtien Beach in Chonburi province. At 12:30 p.m. on 26 November 2025, rescue teams brought the body ashore at Jomtien Beach, where officers from the Pattaya City Police Station carried out an initial examination. Officials stated that the man was wearing only black swim trunks and showed no obvious signs of violence or third-party involvement.
Fall from private tour boat
According to early police findings, Cherbakov fell into the sea on the evening of 24 November from a two-deck private tourist boat. The vessel was returning from Koh Larn to the mainland near Pattaya, and he had been travelling with three fellow Russians. The boat’s captain, a 61-year-old Thai man who asked to be identified only by the nickname “Toey,” described events on board to investigators.
“After we left the island, the four of them spread out on the boat. Two went to the front to take photos, one lay down on the lower deck, and Mr. Andrey was resting near the area where we store the life jackets.”
said Toey, boat captain.
Large-scale search operation
Immediately after the incident was reported, the marine police and Pattaya sea rescue units launched an extensive search that continued for two full days. Officials stressed that finding the body after more than 48 hours in open water ended any remaining hopes of survival. Sea rescue teams have repeatedly warned that falling into open water at night is particularly dangerous due to several factors.
“People disappear quickly from the crew’s field of vision, strong currents in the Gulf of Thailand, and exhaustion and hypothermia can set in after a short time.”
said sea rescue officials.
Autopsy ordered to clarify cause of death
Pol. Lt. Pakorn Prakobnan, deputy inspector at Pattaya City Police Station, ordered that the body be transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Police General Hospital. A detailed autopsy there was expected to determine the precise cause of death. How Cherbakov went overboard remained unclear, and the investigation into the circumstances of the incident was ongoing.