PHETCHABUN, THAILAND – A 45-year-old Thai woman disappeared during a trip to Laos with her Thai-born US ex-husband, who returned alone and was treated as the main suspect.
Cross-border disappearance raises alarm
The missing woman was identified as Thatsanee Saelee, a Thai national from the Hmong ethnic group. According to her son Winyu, all contact with his mother broke off abruptly on 29 December last year. She had previously told relatives she planned to travel to Laos, reportedly with the American wife of her ex-husband, but it later emerged she had gone with her ex-partner himself.
Ex-husband at center of suspicion
The former husband was identified as George, 46, of Thai origin and now a US citizen. The pair had once lived together in Phetchabun province before separating. Family members alleged that George had abused Thatsanee in the past and had once even set fire to her house, a blaze that was extinguished before anyone was hurt, according to Winyu.
After the separation, George married a US citizen and obtained US nationality. Despite this, he and Thatsanee reportedly resumed their relationship. The family said George’s American wife was aware of this renewed relationship and that there were no open conflicts among the three.
Laos trip followed by solo return
When he could no longer reach his mother, Winyu reported her missing at Khao Khor police station. Immigration authorities in Nong Khai province later confirmed that Thatsanee had crossed into Laos with George, not with his US wife as initially claimed. Further checks found that George returned alone to Thailand on 31 December and soon afterward flew on to the United States, which deepened the son’s suspicion of his former stepfather.
Winyu also stated that George had previously threatened to take his mother to Laos, abuse her there and abandon her. These alleged threats were described as a key reason for his strong suspicion that George was involved in the disappearance.
TikTok clips show final movements
Videos on Thatsanee’s TikTok account showed her first at a resort in Meuang Feuang district in Vientiane province. She then apparently travelled on to Vang Vieng, where she attended a celebration with friends. Her final video was uploaded on 30 December, after which there were no further public signs of life.
Suspect invokes lawyer and denies wrongdoing
Winyu said he tried several times to contact George before receiving a response on 10 January, when the ex-husband shared his account of what happened in Laos. George said he and Thatsanee separated immediately after arriving, claiming a car picked her up from the airport and took her to accommodation she had booked herself. He stated he did not know the name or location of this place and asserted that she was travelling around Laos with friends.
George rejected any wrongdoing and made clear he would not provide more details.
“He said he would only speak through his lawyer,”
said Winyu, the missing woman’s son.
Ongoing investigation, no official statement
The investigation into Thatsanee’s disappearance remained ongoing. Officers at Khao Khor police station had not issued an official statement on the case. For the family, the mother’s whereabouts and what happened after her last documented stay in Vang Vieng were still unknown.