American father reunites with Thai daughter after 48 years apart

A 72 year old American man, travelled across the globe to reunite with his Thai daughter after being separated for 48 years. With assistance from a friend with a Thai wife and a renowned hotel owner in Nang Rong, Buriram, the father and daughter finally met, embracing each other with tears of joy.

Terry Howley, a 72 year old American man, and 49 year old Kanjana Milkewicz, from Yai Yam Watthana, Chaloem Phra Kiat district, Buriram, had been separated for nearly five decades. Despite the long separation, both father and daughter never gave up hope of finding each other.

Modern technology and help from a friend with a Thai wife and a well-known hotel owner in Nang Rong enabled this emotional reunion.

Upon meeting, both father and daughter were overwhelmed with emotions, crying and hugging each other tightly. Kanjana presented Terry with red roses and a garland of marigolds to express her love for her father.

Kanjana shared that Terry, a former American GI, was stationed in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, 50 years ago during the Vietnam War. At that time, he met Kanjana’s mother, Supaporn, now 73 years old, who was pregnant by another American soldier who refused to acknowledge the child.

Terry, however, took care of Supaporn during her pregnancy and continued to support her and Kanjana until she was one year old. Terry then returned to his home country, and Kanjana and her mother lost contact with him.

As Kanjana grew older, she made numerous attempts to locate Terry, posting on social media to find him. She learned that Terry had also been searching for her and her mother.

Daughter reunion

In 2019, they finally reconnected through social media and kept in touch via Facebook. Terry had planned to visit Kanjana and her mother in Thailand in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic hindered his travel plans. He promised to visit once the situation improved.

On July 31, Terry arrived in Thailand, intending to surprise Kanjana and her mother. He landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport and contacted his friend with a Thai wife to pick him up but they missed each other. Terry then took a bus to Buriram and a taxi to Nang Rong. However, he had difficulty communicating with the taxi driver, who eventually dropped him off at the Nang Rong Hotel to rest.

The hotel staff helped Terry locate Kanjana by searching her name on Facebook, where they found her posts seeking her father. The hotel contacted Kanjana, who immediately rushed to the hotel to meet her father.

Overwhelmed with joy, she expressed her disbelief at reuniting with Terry after 48 years. Although Terry is not her biological father, he has cared for her since birth, creating a strong bond between them.

Terry plans to stay in Thailand until August 21 and will visit Kanjana’s mother at their home. If the opportunity arises, Kanjana hopes to visit Terry in the United States in the future.

Tan Worachak, a staff member at Nang Rong Hotel, recounted that on August 4, a taxi brought a guest to the hotel who stayed for one night. The guest tried to communicate that he was searching for someone. Tan contacted the hotel owner, who spoke with the guest and learnt that he had travelled from the United States to find his long-lost daughter, reported Sanook.

Tan expressed happiness in being part of the reunion, helping a father and daughter reconnect after so many years.