Bangkok girl lured via online game rescued after 4-day search
A young girl who disappeared for four days from her Bangkok home was found alive today, January 29, in a condominium room in Bang Mod area, after police traced her disappearance to a suspected online grooming case linked to a popular mobile game.
The rescue operation took place early this morning after officers tracked the girl’s movements following her disappearance on January 24. The child, a 12 year old primary school student, was reported missing by her family after she failed to return home in the evening.
Police from Wat Phraya Krai Police Station launched an urgent investigation without waiting the usual 24 hours, after finding that all communication between the girl and her family had suddenly stopped.
Officers reviewed chat records and early witness information suggesting that two men had been seen taking the child away. Despite extensive searches around the girl’s home and school, the investigation initially hit a dead end.
Investigators later returned to review CCTV footage near the girl’s home and noticed footwear matching that of a man who had recently contacted her through an online game. The clue led officers to track further CCTV footage, which showed the girl riding on a motorcycle between two men. The trail eventually pointed to the Bang Mod area.
At around 1.30am today, police raided a condominium room on the 11th floor in Thung Khru district. Inside, they found the girl lying under a blanket and in a weakened condition. Blood stains were also observed on the bed, raising immediate concerns. The suspect, identified as 26 year old Norraphat, was present in the room with the girl’s mobile phone hidden inside his bag.
Norraphat was arrested and charged with unlawfully taking a child under the age of 15 away from her parents for indecent purposes. Police said further charges, including possible sexual offences, would depend on additional evidence from the ongoing investigation.
During questioning, the suspect admitted to knowing the girl through the online game Free Fire but claimed he did not know her age. He denied any sexual assault, stating that the blood found on the bed came from a wound on his own leg, and added that the girl’s phone had been turned off due to a dead battery.
Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Thiradej Thamsuthee said initial findings indicated the suspect had exploited the child’s innocence by forming a relationship online before persuading her to meet him.
He warned parents and children that online games and social media platforms are not always safe and urged guardians to closely monitor their children’s online activity. Amarin TV reported that the girl was safely reunited with her mother, while police continue to expand the investigation.
In similar news, a 15 year old girl kidnapped a six year old boy in the central province of Pathum Thani. The pair were found near the Victory Monument in Bangkok. The motive of the young girl remains under investigation.
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