Seven-day mystery ends as missing mum Wichuda, 33, is found alive on a bus home. Boyfriend Nut crosses the border alone as police find his pickup abandoned with mismatched plates. She insists she went willingly and suffered no harm.
Missing single mother Wichuda Chansungnoen has been found alive after a seven-day mystery stretching from Kanchanaburi to Thailand’s northern border. Police traced the 33-year-old and former boyfriend Nut to Chiang Dao, where his pickup was found abandoned with mismatched registration details. Footage then showed Nut crossing into a neighbouring country alone. But the case suddenly broke when Wichuda called her child and police tracked her to a southbound bus in Lampang. She insists she went willingly, suffered no harm and lost telephone contact. Police are now hunting Nut and reconstructing their seven unexplained days.
Missing Kanchanaburi mother Wichuda Chansungnoen has been found alive after vanishing with her boyfriend for seven days. Police tracked the 33-year-old single mother across northern Thailand before intercepting her journey home. She was finally found aboard a Chiang Mai-Kanchanaburi bus in Lampang on September 4. However, the dramatic discovery has not ended the police investigation.
Wichuda, known as “Lukpla”, insists she willingly travelled north with her boyfriend, known as Nut. She told police she was never forced, threatened or physically harmed. Instead, she blamed her disappearance from contact on a lack of mobile telephone signal. She said the couple stayed at a resort near Thailand’s border in Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai.
Yet police uncovered a more complicated trail while searching for her. Nut’s white pickup was eventually found abandoned in Chiang Dao. Notably, its registration plates did not correspond with the vehicle’s chassis number. Investigators also obtained footage showing Nut crossing into a neighbouring country. Crucially, there was no footage showing Wichuda crossing with him.
Wichuda vanished after leaving with former boyfriend as worried family struggled to reach her for days
The mystery began on August 28 at Wichuda’s home in Lat Ya, Mueang district, Kanchanaburi. She initially told her family she was leaving to run an errand. Later, she drove her saloon car to a relative’s home and left it there. CCTV then captured Nut arriving in a white pickup at about 10 pm. Wichuda climbed aboard and the pair drove away.
Their relationship already had a troubled history. Wichuda and Nut had dated five or six years earlier. Subsequently, Nut was arrested on drug offences and served a prison sentence. He was released earlier this year and the couple renewed their relationship. However, Wichuda’s mother, 50-year-old Chantra Muangkao, disapproved of the reunion.
Wichuda was a single mother and normally maintained close contact with her young son. Therefore, her sudden silence quickly alarmed the family. Relatives tried repeatedly to establish where she had gone. However, they could not reach her. Mrs Chantra eventually sought help from the media and Lat Ya Police Station.
Meanwhile, the family turned its attention to Nut. Despite the CCTV evidence, he reportedly denied seeing Wichuda for months. Mrs Chantra confronted him after learning that cameras had captured them leaving together. In response, Nut blocked her telephone number. Wichuda’s son also tried contacting him but obtained no information about his mother.
Police trace pickup hundreds of kilometres north before finding it abandoned near the Chiang Mai border
Police then began following the pickup’s trail hundreds of kilometres north. Investigators traced the vehicle from Kanchanaburi towards Chiang Mai province. As part of this, officers obtained footage showing the pickup moving around Chiang Dao district. The mountainous district lies near Thailand’s northern border.
The search then produced a significant breakthrough. Police located Nut’s white pickup abandoned in the Chiang Dao area. However, Wichuda was nowhere around the vehicle. Officers subsequently inspected the truck and found another irregularity. Its registration plates did not match the chassis number.
Separately, investigators examined footage and other evidence concerning Nut’s movements near the border. Police established that he had crossed into a neighbouring country. Yet they found no corresponding footage of Wichuda making the same journey. Her whereabouts consequently remained unknown as the investigation widened.
For seven days, Wichuda remained missing and silent. Her family still had no confirmed information showing whether she was safe. Then, at approximately 6.39 pm on September 4, the investigation suddenly changed direction. Wichuda contacted her child.
Seven-day mystery breaks after Wichuda calls her child and police finally track her to a southbound bus
During that conversation, she said she needed to have her telephone repaired first. She also promised that she would video call her child later. Importantly, relatives recognised Wichuda’s voice and confirmed she was the caller. It was their first direct indication that the missing mother was alive.
Police quickly established that Wichuda was already heading back towards Kanchanaburi. She had boarded a Chiang Mai-Kanchanaburi bus and was travelling south alone. Kanchanaburi Provincial Police Commander Police Major General Phasawir Ruangphu then coordinated with Lampang police. Officers from Sop Prap Police Station were called into the operation.
Soon afterwards, police intercepted the bus at the Sop Prap checkpoint in Lampang province. Officers boarded the vehicle and found the missing 33-year-old among its passengers. Wichuda was alive and appeared unharmed. Furthermore, police saw no apparent signs that she had suffered physical assault or coercion.
Wichuda found safe on Lampang bus before returning to Kanchanaburi for detailed police questioning
Wichuda immediately told officers she wanted to continue travelling home. Police allowed her to resume the journey to Kanchanaburi. By approximately 6 am on September 5, provincial investigators were waiting for the returning bus. Officers then took Wichuda to Phanom Thuan Police Station for detailed questioning.
At the station, Wichuda appeared cheerful and again denied being harmed. She insisted she had voluntarily travelled from Kanchanaburi with Nut. According to her account, the couple headed north and stayed at a Chiang Dao resort. She said the accommodation was near the border.
Wichuda also offered an explanation for seven days without family contact. She said the resort had no mobile telephone signal. Consequently, she maintained that she could not telephone her family. She again denied that Nut had forced her to travel north. Likewise, she denied suffering physical violence during the trip.
Her account then provided more details about the couple’s time in Chiang Dao. Wichuda said she remained inside their resort room for much of the period. Nut, meanwhile, travelled outside and met friends. According to Wichuda, he also brought food and drinking water back to the room.
Wichuda says couple quarrelled before she headed home alone as police examine Nut’s abandoned pickup
Eventually, however, the pair quarrelled over what to do next. Wichuda wanted to leave Chiang Dao and return to Kanchanaburi. Nut wanted to remain in the northern border area. As a result, they separated and Wichuda prepared to make the journey home alone.
Around this time, Wichuda became aware that her disappearance had triggered a major search. She saw reports that police and her family were trying to find her. Afterwards, she boarded the Chiang Mai-Kanchanaburi bus and started heading south. Her call to her child finally confirmed she was alive.
Nevertheless, several parts of the seven-day episode remained under police examination. Investigators were particularly interested in the white pickup used during the journey. Wichuda said Nut travelled outside while she stayed inside the resort. She said he met friends and returned with supplies.
However, police had already located the pickup abandoned in Chiang Dao during their search. Furthermore, its registration plates did not correspond with the chassis number. Officers were consequently investigating the vehicle and establishing when it was abandoned. They also wanted to clarify Nut’s movements afterwards.
Police reconstruct border movements as Wichuda insists she travelled willingly and suffered no assault
On another front, police were examining the evidence showing Nut crossing the border. Investigators had footage confirming his departure into a neighbouring country. In contrast, no footage showed Wichuda travelling across the border with him. Police were therefore reconstructing the pair’s movements after reaching Chiang Dao.
The investigation had already covered a huge stretch of Thailand. It began at Wichuda’s home in Kanchanaburi and followed the pickup northwards. It then moved into Chiang Dao before turning south towards Lampang. Finally, officers caught up with Wichuda aboard the bus heading home.
Throughout questioning, Wichuda maintained the same central account. She had travelled with Nut voluntarily and had not been forced to accompany him. She also denied being assaulted. Moreover, she attributed her silence to the lack of a telephone signal at their accommodation.
Police continue hunt for Nut and examine abandoned pickup after Wichuda returns safely to her family
Her discovery nevertheless left police with work to complete. Officers continued examining the abandoned pickup and its mismatched registration details. At the same time, investigators were seeking to establish Nut’s whereabouts after he crossed the border. They were also reconstructing what happened during the couple’s seven days away.
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For Wichuda’s family, the breakthrough came with a telephone call at 6.39 pm on September 4. Hours later, police physically located her aboard the southbound bus. By the following morning, the missing mother was back in Kanchanaburi answering investigators’ questions.
The seven-day search was over. Wichuda had been found alive and apparently unharmed. However, the trail involving Nut, the abandoned pickup and his border crossing remained under police investigation.
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