3 Thai boys’ heartbreaking escape from children’s shelter (video)
Three Thai boys fabricated a heartbreaking story to police officers in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat after escaping from a children’s shelter for the eighth time and attempting to walk to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
A motorist spotted the three boys sitting on the side of the Asian Highway on September 9, looking very exhausted, and called officers from the Thung Song Police Station to assist them. Police rushed to the scene near the Tham Yai Railway Station and brought drinks for them.
After resting and drinking, the boys introduced themselves as 12 year old Khomkrit, 13 year old Kritsada, and 14 year old Nattawut. They claimed to be siblings on a journey to find their mother in Hua Hin.
The eldest, Nattawut, told police that their parents divorced when they were very young, leaving them to live with their grandmother in the Hat Yai district of Songkhla province. However, their grandmother had a boyfriend and disappeared from home a few weeks ago, leaving them stranded and starving.
Nattawut explained that they only knew their father’s name was Tum and their mother’s name was Sai, but they didn’t know their full names. They were told by their grandmother that their mother worked in the fishing industry in Hua Hin, so they set off to seek her help.
According to Nattawut, they began their journey on September 7, walking along the railway track to keep their direction accurate. If they became tired, they would look for a petrol station to rest and sleep, sometimes asking for food from restaurants or passersby.
Police rescue
Police tried to contact their father, mother, and their grandmother, who disappeared with her boyfriend, but were unsuccessful. Officers decided to take the boys to the police station and coordinated with officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (M-Society) to provide temporary care.
Unexpectedly, the story took a different turn when M-Society officials arrived. They discovered that the three boys were under the care of the Sri Thammarat Boys’ Shelter in Nakhon Si Thammarat province but escaped. This was not their first attempt but their eighth escape in the past two months.
M-Society officials returned the boys to the shelter but did not disclose any details about why they were placed there or why they were repeatedly trying to escape.
Many Thai netizens urged news agencies to investigate the reasons behind their repeated escapes, speculating that they may have been trying to escape abuse at the shelter.
