Search Continues For Four Missing Monks After Bamboo Raft Capsizes
Rescue teams search for four Buddhist monks missing in Surat Thani Province after their bamboo raft capsized in Khlong Muay on July 9, with eight of the twelve monks already rescued.
Rescue teams are conducting an intensive search for four Buddhist monks missing in Khlong Muay, within the Bang Ywan forest area of Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park in Amphoe Wiphawadi, Surat Thani Province, following a bamboo raft accident on July 10, 2025. Park officials, community leaders, residents, and rescue units have mobilized to locate the missing monks after the raft collapsed in Khlong Muay.
According to initial reports, twelve monks were traveling downstream on bamboo rafts from Ranong Province when the raft broke apart on the evening of July 9. Two monks emerged on the morning of July 10 to seek help from village officials, prompting a full-scale search operation. Additional monks were subsequently found, though some were suffering from exhaustion and minor injuries. These individuals were transported to a hospital for treatment.
As of 1:18 p.m., authorities had successfully rescued eight monks, leaving four still missing. Over 20 park search personnel, working alongside local residents, continue on-foot and aerial drone searches throughout the forest area to locate the remaining monks.
