Mum calls off Phuket search for missing American Brett Bean

[webfact]

Mum calls off search for missing American Brett Bean
Phuket Gazette


Lynne Bean holds up posters of her missing son Brett Bean, 43, last seen in Phuket on November 25. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- The Phuket search for missing American surfer Brett Bean, 43, was called off by his mother, Lynne Bean.

“Brett has been in contact with us several times. We are most grateful to the Karon Police department, the US Embassy, the news media and the many friends whom we have met in Phuket,” Mrs Bean wrote in an email.

“Their concern for our family has been greatly appreciated,” she added.

Brett first contacted his family in May, 155 days after mysteriously disappearing from his rented Karon bungalow last year. However, the brief conversation appeared to leave the family with more questions than answers.

“It was a very brief call,” his mother said after the call. “We still do not know where he is, but it was very good to hear his voice.”

“At least we know he is alive. There is still hope after 155 days,” his father, Wayne Bean, said.

Mr Bean expected his son, Brett, to arrive back in Los Angeles on November 28.

However, after checking with the airlines it became obvious that his son had not made his 8:25am connection from Bangkok to Hong Kong. Concerned Mr Bean contacted the US Embassy and eventually the media asking for help in locating his son (story here).

Unable to turn a leaf in the search, Mrs Bean travelled to Phuket in December to kickstart a campaign searching for her son. She began pasting the island with missing person fliers, and offered a 50,000-baht reward for his safe recovery (story here).

The case seemed to have gone cold until CCTV images showed a man wearing a helmet accessing Brett’s bank account with his ATM card. Though family felt like the man could be Brett, they struggled to positively identify him (story here).

Brett lived and surfed in Phuket for six months of the year and was a ski instructor in the United States for six months.

Phuket police investigating the case found nothing suspicious in his rented bungalow at the time of his disappearance. Mr Bean’s surfboard and passport were found inside, along with his driver’s license, motorbike registration book and his bankbook

His motorbike was missing, as were his helmet, laptop computer and cell phone.

“Everything looked like Mr Bean had just stepped out,” Maj Worapong Prom-in of the Chalong Police had told the Gazette during the initial investigation.

In their email tonight, the Bean family did not elaborate on what happened to Brett during his extended disappearance in Thailand.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2013/Mum-calls-off-search-for-missing-American-Brett-Bean-21731.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2013-07-24

[theblether]

The not knowing must be torture, it doesn't matter that he's an adult, he's still their little boy

[somtampet]

Seems like mr Bean is happy

[eezergood]

Still somehting is very off with this story!

[jbrain]

The not knowing must be torture, it doesn't matter that he's an adult, he's still their little boy

You will mean he still has the attitude of a little boy. Someone who mentally tortures his parents like this should be located and punished accordingly.

[Briggsy]

For Brett, it sounds like it is all about Brett.

[NamKangMan]

When his money runs out, hopefully, for his family's sake, he will return to reality.

Edited July 24, 2013 by NamKangMan

[iSabai]

Still somehting is very off with this story!

Yes, because it was - and still is - a non-story. It's a personal family matter and that's all it is.

[laurentbkk]

Lets just hope for a happy ending .

[falangjim]

Very misleading headline. It sounds as if the search had been called off because his mom had given up hope.

[andreandre]

The not knowing must be torture, it doesn't matter that he's an adult, he's still their little boy

You will mean he still has the attitude of a little boy. Someone who mentally tortures his parents like this should be located and punished accordingly.

No one knows the facts except maybe the guy himself...he could well be suffering a severe mental illness...I hope it turns out well for them all.

Very hard for the parents, whatever the truth is anyway.

[belg]

mr bean and his holliday extravaganza

[Guest]

Still somehting is very off with this story!

Yes, because it was - and still is - a non-story. It's a personal family matter and that's all it is.

From the mothers and other relatives point of view it was a story at the time. They contacted media to help for searching what has happened to their son.

Only later on they got confirmation that he is kind of ok and there was no reason to keep it in public anymore.

In the way this article was an closure to the story.

[drink75]

mr bean and his holliday extravaganza

I haven't seen that one yet but I liked the one where he went to France and ended up at the cannes movie festival.

[webfact]

Search called off in Phuket as ‘missing’ American phones home


Brett Bean.

PHUKET: -- The case of disappearing American Brett Bean has been laid to rest with his family calling off the search this week and cancelling the B50,000 reward for information after receiving “several” calls from him.

His mother Lynne emailed local news organisations to say, “Brett has been in contact with us several times. We are most grateful to the Karon Police department, the US Embassy, the news media and the many friends whom we have met in Phuket,” Mrs Bean wrote in an email.

“Their concern for our family has been greatly appreciated.”

It appears that she hoped the media would spread the word to others involved in looking for Brett, who was reported missing after he failed to get on a flight he had booked to the US in November last year.

Pol Lt Col Chana Suthimas, Karon Police Station Deputy Superintendent for Inquiries, told the Phuket News that the family had not notified him.

“Last month, there was a newspaper report that he had gone home but we didn’t ask the family about that. He left no traces but we have always believed there was nothing sinister – no fights of conflicts – that caused him to disappear.

Local US Embassy Warden Denny Bowman, too, said the family had not told him they had called off the search. The first he knew of it, he said, was when The Phuket News called him on Wednesday morning (July 24).

The American Embassy’s US Citizens Service declined to comment, citing policy that it does not discuss individual cases.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/search-called-off-in-phuket-as-%E2%80%98missing%E2%80%99-american-phones-home-40965.php


-- Phuket News 2013-07-24

[Guest]

Maybe we should think positively. The beach is real after all..

[Monkeyrobot]

Very strange long time for a bender.

[newermonkey]

Perhaps this Mr. Bean is just the same as the one in the movie, running around with a 12yo boy and does not want his parents to know about it.

[spectre324]

Seems like mr Bean is happy

stop his ATM account, if he is alive the family will get a response. if indeed he is alive shows a contempt for his loved ones.

[Traveller45]

There´s too many if´s here to come to a conclusion. If he really did leave his mum without news deliberately, he is an anal orifice. This is certainly what most people will think. "I have always wanted to call you, but my phone was broken..." If on the other hand he did get stranded on a forlorn island, or fell into the hands of criminals...

[FritsSikkink]

Seems like mr Bean is happy

stop his ATM account,

And how would somebody do that?

[NamKangMan]

Maybe he rang home to say, "Mum, I have found myself. Please forward the 50,000 baht reward money to me." :)

[stevenl]

Seems like mr Bean is happy

stop his ATM account, if he is alive the family will get a response. if indeed he is alive shows a contempt for his loved ones.

He is in communication with his family, so he is alive.

And based on what should anyone stop his ATM account?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

So he doesn't have to report where he is staying every night to immigration like all other foreigners?

[StefanBBK]

There´s too many if´s here to come to a conclusion. If he really did leave his mum without news deliberately, he is an anal orifice. This is certainly what most people will think. "I have always wanted to call you, but my phone was broken..." If on the other hand he did get stranded on a forlorn island, or fell into the hands of criminals...

Right. The whole thing does not make sense. It was an official missing person case, so one would think his bank account was closely monitored, along with his cell phone etc..

Somehow I feel there has been some foul play, other than by Mr. Bean.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[stevenl]

So he doesn't have to report where he is staying every night to immigration like all other foreigners?

Who says he is in Thailand?

BTW, foreigners do not have to report to immigration where they are staying, that is the responsibility of the accommodation.

Edited July 24, 2013 by stevenl

[FiestyFarang]

OK so the guy clearly has issues, but who would put their parents through the nightmare and expense of flying half way round the world. Thailand obviously does not speak English and is very hot especially if you are not used to it and his Mother flew all the way to try and find him. Imagine how she must of felt all alone on the plane and here. Bret you should be ashamed of yourself and at the very least pay your mother back for her trip here. Email, phone, letter, internet café you could have made contact if you wanted to. You were too selfish to do so. Let's not believe he is in the hands of criminals how many Westerners get trapped like that.

[FiestyFarang]

He is probably still in Thailand as they found his Passport unless he has two?

Edited July 24, 2013 by FiestyFarang

[Rumblecat]

So he doesn't have to report where he is staying every night to immigration like all other foreigners?

Wait, what... I'm meant to report every night where I'm staying?

Genuinely, is that meant to be a thing? I've lived here five or six years and never heard of that.

[VocalNeal]

So he doesn't have to report where he is staying every night to immigration like all other foreigners?

Wait, what... I'm meant to report every night where I'm staying?

Genuinely, is that meant to be a thing? I've lived here five or six years and never heard of that.

Don't you report every 90 days?