Thai man rescued after 4 days trapped in cave in southern Thailand

Lanska Police Station officers and a rescue team saved a Thai man trapped in the Nam Wang Si Thamma Sokarat Cave in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat for four days.

A resident in the Lanska district of Nakhon Si Thammarat alerted the police after noticing a Yamaha off-road motorcycle parked outside the cave for several days, suspecting that something might have happened to its owner.

Police officers, along with locals familiar with the cave, searched for the motorcycle’s owner yesterday, August 18. The search team cautiously navigated the dark and wet cave, calling out for the owner but initially found no trace of him.

After an hour of searching, the team discovered the missing person, later identified as 47 year old Ekkachai Phetchuay, sitting in the cold, shivering inside the cave. He was shirtless, wearing only black jeans. His hands and feet were pale and worn due to being submerged in water for four days.

Ekkachai told the police that he began his motorcycle trip alone on August 14 and arrived at the cave the same day. He entered the cave with only a flashlight, which later ran out of battery.

Ekkachai explained that he became lost in the cave and tried to find his way out in the dark but was unsuccessful. He expressed his gratitude to the locals and officials who came to his aid in time. Ekkachai was rushed to Lanska Hospital for a medical examination and treatment.

In a related report, another Thai man, Farut Jaithatkun, went missing for seven days after visiting Phu Soi Dao National Park in the northern province of Uttaradit. Rangers launched a daily search for him but found no trace of Farut.

Fortunately, the man later emerged from the forest safely on July 11. He bore no injuries, though he was exhausted and starving. Farut explained that he had lost consciousness and awoke after feeling as though something had hit his chest.

Farut was unsure how he became lost. He said he had stopped mid-journey while walking to the camping ground due to heavy rain. He left his backpack on the pathway to seek shelter from the rain and then could not recall what happened next.