Search Continues for Missing 75-Year-Old in Thab Lan Forest
Rescue teams search for a 75-year-old man missing since September 11 in Thab Lan National Park after he went foraging for bamboo shoots near Prachuap Khiri Khan. Heavy rain has hampered efforts to track him downstream from where his belongi
A 75-year-old man named Phakdi from Nadi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan, has been missing since 3 p.m. on September 11 after telling his granddaughter he was going to forage for bamboo shoots in the forest north of Khao Sai village, near Thab Lan National Park. When he did not return by nightfall, family members and villagers searched throughout the night without success.
On September 12, officials from Thab Lan National Park, central patrol units, local administration, and rescue teams conducted a foot search more than 2 kilometers into the national park and discovered his bamboo bag filled with shoots, backpack, and shirt abandoned near a stream. Prasatsat Chantep, the national park director, revealed that teams traced footprints and cut branches showing the missing man had headed downstream along the water.
Search efforts face significant obstacles from heavy rainfall that has washed away footprints and made tracking difficult. Rescue teams deployed a thermal drone to survey the area for body heat signatures but had to discontinue after approximately 30 minutes due to adverse weather conditions. Authorities and villagers have temporarily withdrawn for safety and plan to reconvene to adjust their search strategy on the following day.
