Search for elderly man lost in Kamphaeng Phet forest continues

A 71 year old man has gone missing in a dense forest under the jurisdiction of the Wildlife Conservation Zone in Kamphaeng Phet province. Over 50 forest officials, administrators, and local villagers have launched an extensive search, combing the forest area for any signs of the man.

The missing septuagenarian is Phorn Muekkwang, a local from Nong Kong Village. He ventured into the forest to collect bamboo shoots and apparently lost his way.

The man left his house around 11am two days ago to go foraging in the woods and hasn’t been seen since. The search party had been combing the forest area from the time of the disappearance until evening and then started again in the morning.

Despite their efforts, there were no signs of Phorn. As evening approached, the search party retreated from the forest. However, as the villagers and officials were withdrawing from the forest, Subhavat Somharnwong, the village headman, notified the search team of a new lead.

A group of villagers in a pickup truck encountered Phorn in the forest while they were picking mushrooms. This area, Ban Rai Pitchit, is adjacent to Nong Kong Village, reported KhaoSod.

The villagers who found Phorn initially hesitated to approach him, fearing he might be a criminal as he was carrying a knife. After a brief conversation, they felt confident to leave the forest and report their findings.

Subsequently, the search team hurried to Ban Rai Pitchit, where they convened at the village headman’s office. They coordinated with forest officials and sought assistance from local villagers for the search operation.

Over 30 officials and villagers gathered and quickly formulated a plan for the rescue efforts. The search resumed late into the evening, beginning at the spot in the forest where the villagers had last seen Phorn.

The search party combed through the dense forest, covering a distance of over 2 to 3 kilometres. Still, there were no traces or signs of Phorn.

By around 9.30pm, the search was called off for the day. Plans were made to resume the search this morning, with hopes of conducting a more thorough search in broad daylight.