Vietnamese man offers Bt500,000 for tip of missing sister

[Thaivisa News]

Pattaya, Chon Buri: - A 47-year-old Vietnamese man, who is a US citizen, has asked the Pattaya police station to look for his 49-year-old sister who was taken away by pirates in the Gulf of Thailand in 1981.

Vo Vang Dao told Pol Lt Thaweesak Suathong that his parents, who now live in the US, are willing to give Bt500,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the finding of his missing sister.

The man showed a computer-graphic photo that displays how she would look like now. It was generated from her child’s photo.

He recounted that he, and four siblings and their parents fled from Vietnam in a boat on May 15 1981. A total of 74 Vietnamese people were in the same boat.

When the boat entered the Gulf of Thailand, it was robbed by a pirate ship. The pirates destroyed the boat’s engine and took his sister, Vo Hoang Thuy Ai who was then 15, away along with seven other women.

The parents watched helplessly when the girl was taken away. After the boat reached Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Sichon district two days later, the family was helped by the United Nations and was resettled in the US.

Vang Dao said his parents always missed his sister and could not have peace of mind until they learn her fate.

The family also opened a Facebook page, offering the Bt500,000 reward for anyone who helps the family locate the missing sister/daughter.

Thaweesak said the family has visited Thailand several times to try to locate Hoang Thuy Ai.

[noitom]

Sorry for this family. It appears to be a hopeless search. They should be on guard that Thais don't try to swindle their 500,000 baht.

[granuaile]

Such a sad tale, I hope they can be reunited....

[alocacoc]

So sad

[balo]

Too late I'm afraid. If they really think she's still alive then it would be easy to find her on facebook etc. Unless she is hiding from her own family.

[ezzra]

I don't think that even offering 50 millions will help, it will only draw some unscrupulous people

to try to take advantage of his plight, 35 years is too long to find someone who was taken by

by any one, much less by pirates...so for his family hope is all that left...

[slipperylobster]

so long ago....

[Oziex1]

The pain of not knowing what happened so long ago.

Many families are suffering the same by the murdering and kidnapping, of the current people traffickers.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Oziex1

[petercool]

A speculative post and an insensitive one both removed

[SOTIRIOS]

.....34 years...

...did nobody give a d*mn all these years....none of the governments....???

...does the family have to offer money for anything to be done...so many years later......

...shocking.....

[jamiejoel]

So where is the link to the FB page.. At least we can share it,,, you never know...Sadly thinking of how low these pirates would have been I would not expect one minute that any of the ladies would be alive now.. but stranger miracles have happened. Can we can a link at least to start sharing...

[wooloomooloo]

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1534431783487669&id=1513910822206432&set=a.1534431773487670.1073741830.1513910822206432&refid=13

[Tomtomtom69]

Even with dual citizenship, if this man is a US citizen he isn't "a Vietnamese man". He is a US citizen of Vietnamese origin, but to be honest that's not important. He's simply a US citizen. What a strange thing to say: "a Vietnamese man with US citizenship".