Eighth day of search for missing mushroom picker in Khao Kho forest as new clues emerge

A desperate search for a 61 year old mushroom picker lost in the Khao Kho Forest in northern Thailand has entered its eighth day, with over 100 people, including residents and officials from various departments, joining the hunt. Tragically, the man, known locally as Khamphan Sisonkarn or Lod, disappeared on September 27 while foraging in the community forest of Jawa Sitt village, Rim Si Muang sub-district.

In the latest efforts to locate the mushroom picker, family members enlisted the help of a Buddhist monk from a local temple. The monk conducted an ancient ritual, reciting various chants for approximately 15 minutes before the family released a chicken.

The act, a symbolic exchange of the chicken’s life for the lost individual, was followed by a group tracing the direction in which the chicken walked.

Currently, the search comprises four groups. The first group is revisiting previously searched areas, and the second group, consisting of forestry officials, is following the path taken by the released chicken. The third group is tracing a route from the forest’s water storage area along the watercourse to the area where the mushroom picker disappeared. Lastly, the fourth group is following the water ditches around the incident area within a radius of approximately one kilometre.

Adding to the glimmer of hope, a search group reported finding a belt, believed to belong to the vanished mushroom picker, in the forest around noon today. The belt was found a short distance from the spot where previous searches were conducted.

Today’s search saw an additional 20 administrative officials from the Khao Kho district and another 10 members from the motorcycle team join the effort, bringing the total number of searchers to approximately 100.

As the search enters its eighth day, the resolve to find Lod remains undeterred, with the community and officials continuing their efforts to locate the missing man.

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