The search is ongoing for a two-year-old boy from the Lahu tribe who has been missing from his home in a mountain village in Chiang Rai since last Saturday.
Officials from the Mirror Foundation believe there are four possible explanations for the boy's disappearance. They think he may have been kidnapped, was a victim of domestic violence, had an accident, or got involved in a conflict over his guardianship.
According to the Mae Yao sub-district police, the boy was last seen with his uncle, who tested positive for drugs when he was questioned by the police. However, the police didn't find any evidence suggesting the uncle is responsible for the boy's disappearance.
Two police sniffer dogs were supposed to arrive in Ban Phasuk village in Mae Yao sub-district yesterday to help with the search.
Yesterday, the boy’s mother and grandmother took Thai PBS reporters to the place where the boy was last seen with his uncle. They said he was playing with a football in the village before he went missing, and added that there were no conflicts within the community.
Other villagers mentioned that there were outsiders at a wedding ceremony last Saturday, when the boy disappeared. They also said the boy usually didn't leave the village alone.
Villagers began searching for the boy last Saturday, and then informed the police when they couldn't find him. The police station is about an hour’s walk from the village.
The boy was last seen on a hill near a dry creek next to his parents’ house. There is a flowing stream about 400 metres away from the village.
