Child abduction scare in Nakhon Phanom prompts school warnings
A recent incident involving a suspected child abduction gang has caused alarm in Nakhon Phanom province.
Three men in a pickup truck allegedly attempted to lure students with sweets, leading to widespread concern among parents and teachers. The local education office issued a warning to schools in the area.
A 10 year old student, referred to as Noy, attending Baan Pathai School, recounted an unsettling encounter on February 17 around noon. While riding his electric bicycle home for lunch to Baan Non Sawan in Tha Uthen district, Noy encountered three men in a white pickup truck near his grandmother’s rubber plantation.
Alone and frightened, he quickly hid on the second floor of his house for 30 minutes while the men waited outside for about 10 minutes before leaving. He then called his mother, who arrived 20 minutes later.
Noy’s grandmother, 49 year old Jamjan, explained she was away at a friend’s house. Noy described seeing the truck approaching and turning back upon noticing him.
Despite following him, the truck slipped off the road, allowing Noy to escape to a nearby shop and later to his house, where he hid. The men allegedly searched for him, calling out with offers of sweets. Noy informed his mother of the incident, suspecting it was an attempted abduction.
The Nakhon Phanom Primary Educational Service Area Office in Sri Songkhram district has since issued an urgent alert, warning schools of suspicious people attempting to deceive students. On February 7, a similar incident occurred when a bronze pickup stopped outside a school, with a person offering sweets to students.
A teacher, noticing they were not the students’ guardians, instructed the children to return to class. The vehicle left promptly.
The office has urged schools to take several precautionary measures, including collaborating with community leaders to raise awareness among parents and students, ensuring school staff closely monitor student safety, and teaching students self-protection skills. Parents are also advised to be vigilant about potential dangers, reported KhaoSod.
Any incidents should be reported immediately to the Nakhon Phanom Primary Educational Service Area Office through their designated communication channels.
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