CHIANG MAI, Thailand – A German-Turkish tourist has vanished in northern Thailand. Ali Karakoyunlu, 32, last contacted his family on July 23.
Karakoyunlu arrived from Japan on July 20 and took a train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai the next day. Two days later, all contact stopped.
Phone rings but no one answers
His ex-girlfriend Suppanat Essie said relatives tried reaching him through Line, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and his Thai number. At times the phone was switched off. When it rang again, nobody picked up.
The ex-girlfriend then reported him missing and turned to the public for help.
Police search comes up empty
Chiang Mai Tourist Police launched a search. They checked all hospitals in the province and found no sign of him.
No accommodation was registered under his name either. Officers have no records pointing to a stay in Chiang Mai.
Ex-girlfriend launches public appeal
Suppanat Essie posted on Facebook with the family’s permission. She urged anyone who had seen Karakoyunlu or knew his whereabouts to come forward.
She also alerted the Thai NGO Mirror Foundation, which is now involved in the search.
Family coordinates with Turkish embassy
Karakoyunlu’s sister Kubra contacted Suppanat via Instagram on July 29 and provided his full travel itinerary. The family is now coordinating with the Turkish embassy.
Only after the official authorities are brought in can the relevant embassies work together on the missing person case. The search is running at full speed.
Separate incident: Dutch tourist missing in Krabi
In an unrelated case, police are still searching for a Dutch tourist off Railay Beach in Krabi. His kayak capsized in rough seas.
His daughter was rescued safely. Search teams have only found one kayak paddle at the scene. No trace of the missing man has been found.