Missing British teen found in Thai jungle surviving on bugs and bark
Teen found at temple after vanishing during border-crossing attempt
A British teenager has been rescued after going missing in a Thai jungle, where he survived alone for days by eating insects and bark in a bid to stay alive.
The 19 year old British national vanished near the Thai-Myanmar border after a failed crossing attempt, prompting an urgent search by local police.
Police in Kanchanaburi launched a full-scale operation to locate Lawrence Stallard Honour after he was reported missing by his Thai-Russian mother, who lives in Chon Buri. Her concern grew after she noticed suspicious activity on her son’s email account linked to Sangkhla Buri district, more than 500 kilometres from where he was last seen in Pattaya.
Lawrence was eventually found alive on October 11 at Wat Tham Sawan Bandan temple in West Thailand, 10 days after disappearing into the jungle. The teen reportedly survived by eating ants and tree bark after becoming lost in the forest near the border.
Police Colonel Santi Phithaksakul, superintendent of Sangkhla Buri Police Station, said Honour had tried to cross into Karen State, Myanmar, but was stopped when the Three Pagodas checkpoint was already closed.
“The interrogation revealed that Lawrence intended to go to Payathonzu in Karen State. He planned to pass through on September 27, but the checkpoint had shut.”
Unable to afford accommodation and with only a phone with a low battery, Lawrence wandered into the jungle as night fell. He quickly became lost and spent days trekking through rugged terrain with no food or supplies.
He eventually returned to the temple, where he was found by members of the One Sky Foundation, who confirmed he was physically unharmed and had not been trafficked or abused, reported the Daily Mail.
His father, Julian Honour, and mother, Gulnara Fattakhova, have since collected him from the rescue team.
“I’m afraid he spoke to people online and was tricked into going to one of those scam centres in Myanmar,” Fattakhova told police. “He’s a shy boy but brilliant with computers.”
The reason for his attempted crossing remains unclear. Myanmar has become a hotspot for cyber scam centres and forced labour operations following a military coup in 2021.
In September, the US Treasury sanctioned operators linked to large-scale scam networks in Myanmar and Cambodia, citing links to trafficking and abuse.
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