A BLAENAVON man who had been missing in Thailand for 11 days is safe and well.

In yesterday's Argus we reported how John Jones, pictured, who travelled to Thailand two days before Christmas, had not been in touch with his family since the disaster.

Mr Jones, 58, flew out to Thailand to visit friends, but his sister Diane Guilfoyle, from Rogerstone, Newport had not heard from her brother since Christmas Day. But yesterday Mrs Guilfoyle got a call from the Metropolitan Police telling her that her brother was safe and well.

She said: "He was in a different part of the country and didn't realise the scale of the disaster."

Mrs Guilfoyle said one of his friends saw her on the news and managed to get in touch with the police to let her know that he was safe. She said: "It was a huge relief to know that he is safe."