Two Forest Hikers Still Missing After Two Days in Phayao
Rescue teams in Phayao's Chiang Muan District are expanding their search for two missing hikers on the third day, with no sign of them found despite drone and ground operations along the Pii River.
Authorities in Chiang Muan District, Phayao, have established a joint command center to search for two residents from Ban Pin village who went missing while entering the forest. The missing individuals are identified as Mr. Ra and Mr. Nak. The search, now in its third day, involves multiple agencies including district administration, local police, Doi Phu Nang National Park, wildlife protection units, a royal dam project office, and volunteer rescue teams.
On the third day of operations, search teams were divided into two groups. Team 1, led by security officials from Chiang Muan District, used drones to survey the last known coordinates provided by the missing persons near the eastern bank of the Pii River, then conducted ground searches along the river heading south, but found no trace. Team 2 searched the southern section of the Pii River using drones from Phrae Province's forest control station, also without results.
Authorities have now expanded the search plan to include the western bank of the Pii River, with support from motocross motorcycle clubs from surrounding districts in Phayao and nearby Nan Province. Additional resources include on-foot search teams and boats to search along the river from the Pii Dam reservoir to the last known position, with expansion toward the southern areas of Chiang Muan District. Officials continue to adjust their strategy based on terrain conditions to maximize chances of locating both missing persons as quickly as possible.
