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British tourist found after 16 days in jungle in Thailand!
A missing British tourist was found in Pattaya in 2025. The search began after his departure on September 26th.
British tourist found after 16 days in jungle in Thailand!
It was an unexpected reunion that ended on October 12, 2025 for a British tourist in Thailand. Lawrence Stollard, a 19-year-old boy from England, was found near the Sangkhla Buri border after being missing since September 26, 2025. The young man had disappeared from his accommodation in Naklua, Bang Lamung, and his alarmed mother, Kulnara, filed a missing person's report with police after discovering clues to his whereabouts in Sangkhla Buri through her son's emails. The search was immediately coordinated, including checking surveillance cameras at hotels and resorts in the area, thairath.co.th reported.
On October 11, alert residents of Ban Phra Chedi Sam Ong reported a suspicious person at Wat Tham Kaew Sawan. A check quickly determined that it was Lawrence, who had spent the last 16 days away from civilization. He was first taken to the Wan Sky Foundation office in Nong Lu to clarify the situation before finally returning to the care of his family.
A fight for survival in the wilderness
Lawrence reported to authorities that his goal was to travel to Myanmar, but he was stopped at the border by immigration authorities. The young Brit found himself in a precarious situation and wandered around in the forest for over 10 days. To survive, he fed on ants and tree bark. He eventually found his way back to the temple, where he was given help and informed the foundation, who informed the authorities.
Such incidents shed light on security in the country as Thailand struggles with a decline in international tourist numbers. As wochenblitz.com explains, arrivals fell by 14% in May 2025, and the Chinese market in particular is suffering heavily from a decline of 32.7%.
Security concerns and trends
Tourism, which accounts for about 12% of Thailand's gross domestic product, has been hit by recent security concerns. Negative reporting on fraud and other incidents, such as the kidnapping of Chinese actor Wang Xing, is causing trust in Thailand as a travel destination to wane. In January 2025, there were already tens of thousands of cancellations of flights and hotel bookings, which further aggravated the situation.
To counteract this, the government is already planning adjustments. A reduction in the visa-free stay period for Chinese tourists from 30 to 7 to 10 days is being discussed. We are also working on promotional activities for markets such as India, Malaysia and Russia to create a broader base. The introduction of the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) in May 2025 is also intended to make entry easier and attract potential vacationers.
However, it remains questionable whether Thailand can achieve its target of 36.2 million tourists for 2025 despite these challenges. Developments around safety measures, infrastructure and sustainable tourism will be crucial in showing past and future visitors how destinations will change - and whether trust in Thailand can be regained.