A Soviet Embassy doctor and his wife have been granted asylum at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok in a bid to defect to the United States, the Bangkok Post reported Saturday.
The Post quoted Soviet Embassy officials as saying Dr. Vladimir Zhila, 37, and his wife, Olga, 30, disappeared Thursday.Police sources were quoted as saying the couple's car was found in the parking lot of a hotel not far from the U.S. Embassy.
One diplomatic source said the Soviet couple had sought, and been granted, asylum in the U.S. Embassy, the newspaper reported.