Girl Forgotten at Gas Station Travels 400 km Before Rescue

[webfact]

 

A six-year-old girl from Laos, en route to visit her mother in Bangkok, was forgotten at a gas station, traveling 400 km before anyone realized she was missing.

 

Late on August 7, 2024, the Siam Ruam Jai Pu In Rescue Unit responded to a report of a lost child at the PTT Nong Bo gas station in Nang Rong District, Buriram Province. Upon arrival, they found a young girl carrying a small bag, comforted by two concerned women. The girl, upset and crying, had been left behind by a passenger bus.

 

Known for certain she was not Thai, rescuers took her to Nang Rong Police Station. However, the child refused to go due to fear. Reluctantly, she agreed to get into the rescue vehicle, crying the entire journey. At the rescue office, a female member of the team managed to calm her down, revealing a distinct Laotian accent in the girl's speech.

 

A Facebook search notice from Siam Ruam Jai Pu In Rescue Unit eventually pinpointed her identity. The girl’s mother, a Laotian worker in Bangkok, recognized her daughter and contacted authorities. Investigation revealed that the girl had been on a bus from Pakse, Laos, with her uncle, bound for Bangkok.

 

CCTV footage showed the child and her uncle disembarking at the gas station to use the restroom. However, the bus driver, mistaken by the uncle's inquiry, believed the child was asleep in the back and drove off without her. The error was discovered only after the bus reached Bangkok, with the uncle realizing the child had been left behind.

 

Mr. Worabodin Rungrojchaikun, head of the rescue unit, said the girl had been in fear and distress, but they managed to keep her safe until her mother's arrival. The episode underscores the importance of passenger checks during stops to prevent such distressing incidents in the future.

 

-- 2024-08-08

 

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[5davidhen1]

Home (alone) away?

[webfact]

Fuel for thought: Bangkok-bound uncle abandons girl in Buriram
by Bright Choomanee

 

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

A young girl was abandoned at a petrol station in Buriram by her uncle who journeyed more than 400 kilometres to Bangkok. The six year old was found in a distressed state and was initially too scared to cooperate with rescuers. Her mother, working in Bangkok, has been contacted and is on her way to reunite with her.

 

At 2am today, August 8, Siam Ruam Jai Pu In Rescue Unit received a report of a lost child at a petrol station in Nang Rong district, Buriram province. Responding promptly, the rescue unit found two women comforting a young girl, approximately six years old, who had a backpack on. The women explained that they had seen the girl crying for a long time but no one came to claim her, prompting them to call the rescue team.

The rescue team attempted to take the girl to Nang Rong Police Station but she was too frightened to go with them. The two women who initially looked after her managed to calm her down enough to get her into the rescue vehicle. Despite this, she cried throughout the journey and refused to respond to any questions from the rescuers.

 

The police then directed the rescue unit to take the child to their office, which provided a more comfortable environment. Once there, the girl’s condition improved significantly as a female rescue worker engaged her in conversation. It was soon evident that the girl spoke in a dialect resembling that of people from Laos.

The Siam Ruam Jai Pu In Rescue Unit subsequently posted an announcement to locate the girl’s family, which was widely shared. A woman soon contacted them, claiming to be the girl’s mother, a worker in Bangkok. Kampon Wongsa-nguan, the head of Nang Rong Police Station, along with the rescue unit, confirmed the identity of the mother, who is from Laos and works in Bangkok.

The mother explained that her daughter had been travelling with her uncle from Laos to Bangkok on a bus from Pakse. The bus, carrying around 30 passengers, made a stop at the petrol station in Nang Rong at approximately 11.55pm for a routine break.

 

Lost girl

 

CCTV footage showed the girl and her uncle entering the restroom together. However, when the bus resumed its journey, the girl was not on board. The uncle, upon returning to the bus, asked the driver if he had seen the girl. The driver mistakenly informed him that she was sleeping at the back of the bus.

 

The confusion went unnoticed until the bus arrived at Mo Chit Station in Bangkok, where the girl’s mother and another uncle were waiting. Upon realising the girl was missing, they alerted the transport office, leading to the discovery that she was under the care of the Siam Ruam Jai Pu In Rescue Unit. The mother is now en route to Nang Rong to collect her daughter, reported KhaoSod.

 

Vorabodin Rungrojchaikul, the head of Siam Ruam Jai Pu In Rescue Unit, gave a statement on the incident.

“After receiving the report, we immediately went to check on the child. She was traumatised and did not speak to anyone. From our initial understanding, it was clear she was not Thai. We then posted her picture to find her guardians. Fortunately, the child was unharmed.”

 

Source: The Thaiger] 2024-08-08

 

-  Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

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[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the bus driver, mistaken by the uncle's inquiry, believed the child was asleep in the back and drove off without her. The error was discovered only after the bus reached Bangkok, with the uncle realizing the child had been left behind.

Dumb and dummer strike again.

[fredwiggy]

Traveling with a 6 year old makes most of us parents and caretakers paranoid a little, knowing you have to keep an eye on them all the time. Asking the bus driver if the girl is on board isn't too smart.

[klauskunkel]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The episode underscores the importance of passenger checks during stops to prevent such distressing incidents in the future.

The episode underscores the urgent need for the uncle to get slapped upside the head.

[CanadaSam]

28 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

The episode underscores the urgent need for the uncle to get slapped upside the head.

 

Just a slap? 

 

A 6 year old girl could have gotten into some serious trouble all alone, I think at the least a severe beating!

[AgMech Cowboy]

Wow, nice to read a touching feel good story.  I know there are many good stories, but bad things and controversy make better news for the most. 

[brianthainess]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The error was discovered only after the bus reached Bangkok, with the uncle realizing the child had been left behind.

Jeez really that would have been at least 4 hrs. later, was he pissed and passed out ? 

I'm also surprised it traveled a further 400 Km. without another stop.

[BobBKK]

The uncle was with her?

[thaipo7]

In 1972 my wife and I went to ND to see a guy and his family.  They had 3 young children.  I think we were near Mt Rushmore and stopped for snacks and gas.  We left his 4 year old daughter behind when we took off.  Went maybe 20 miles before we realized what had been done.  Went back, and she was just standing there.