Thai PhD student goes missing in Japan amid exam stress
A Thai PhD student went missing in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Japan. She was last seen at a town centre bus stop near the University of Miyazaki International House at around 10am on Thursday, January 23.
The news Facebook page กิ๊ฟจังนั่งเล่า (Gift Chan News), which focuses on Japanese news, shared a missing person poster for the 30 year old Thai woman, Pornsawan “Ma Phrao” Pongsawat, on Wednesday, January 29.
Pornsawan was a PhD student at the Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Miyazaki International House. She was in the final year of her PhD and was expected to graduate in March this year.
According to the Facebook page, friends and family last managed to contact Pornsawan via a message at around 6am on Friday, January 24. She was last seen by her friends wearing a fluffy beige jacket while standing at a town centre bus stop near the university.
The missing woman reportedly brought some items to her Thai friends and met with her roommate, who was about to leave for the university, before disappearing.
Pornsawan had no known congenital diseases but she previously told her friends that she was stressed about an upcoming exam.
Due to the stress, she rarely ate or slept. She also mentioned experiencing other pressures outside of her studies but did not provide further details.
The Facebook page reported that the Thai Embassy in Japan contacted local police, who later searched her dormitory room.
Officers found her passport, a residence card for foreigners known as a Zairyu card, a mobile phone, and a tablet in the room.
A letter was also found in her accommodation but its contents have not been disclosed to the public.
Following an examination of her mobile phone and tablet, police did not find any clues regarding the reasons behind her disappearance.
All of her belongings are now in the care of her university. Police plan to review security camera footage across the prefecture in an effort to track down Pornsawan.
Her disappearance follows a recent case involving another missing Thai national in Japan. A 25 year old man undertaking an internship with a company in Hiroshima disappeared after attending a party with friends at a Thai restaurant in the city.
Tragically, the man was found dead at the restaurant a month later. His family suspects foul play and called on the relevant government departments to conduct a further investigation into his death.
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