British man missing for a month found ‘perfectly fine’ on Thai holiday island

A missing persons report in Wales triggered an international search operation

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Wednesday 16 April 2025 10:38 BST
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Davies was found alive in Thailand
Davies was found alive in Thailand (Krabi Immigration)

A 26-year-old British man whose family said he had been missing for over a month in Thailand was found “perfectly fine” on a popular holiday island.

The family of Daniel Davies, from Llanelli in Wales, said he had last made contact with them on 13 March when he was on the Koh Phi Phi Don island in the southern province of Krabi.

The family filed a missing person's report with the Dyfed-Powys police saying it was "highly out of character" for him to not contact them for so long. The report prompted local authorities in Thailand to commence a search operation for the tourist.

Mr Davies' aunt, Nicola Doran, said in an appeal to the public that her nephew had gone “missing in Bangkok, Thailand". "He has been reported and is now a missing person, no one has had any contact in weeks," she said in a Facebook post last week.

"He lost his passport, and he hasn't picked up his temporary one," Ms Doran wrote in a fundraiser post. "He was last seen in Phi Phi island staying at the hangover hostel.”

Family members shared a photo of Davies in a missing persons appeal
Family members shared a photo of Davies in a missing persons appeal (Facebook)

His friend Lucia Froom said Mr Davies’ phone was turned off and no one had heard from him in weeks, which was "not like him at all". "If anyone knows anyone in Thailand or is planning a trip there soon, can people please keep an eye out for him," Ms Froom was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

On Tuesday, the Thai police said that they had found Mr Davies staying in a hostel in Muang and that he was “perfectly fine”.

The tourist was safe, mentally sound and making his own decisions as a legal adult, The Pattaya News quoted the police as saying.

Immigration officers located the missing tourist after he was missing more than a month
Immigration officers located the missing tourist after he was missing more than a month (Krabi Immigration)

“We are relieved he is safe,” a spokesperson for the Krabi police said. “We encourage all tourists to take basic safety measures to avoid such situations.”

Ms Doran updated her Facebook post on Tuesday. “He has been found,” she wrote, referring to her nephew. “Thank you for all your help."

Mr Davies’ visa was reportedly valid until the end of this month.

Tourists visit Maya Bay on Thailand's Phi Phi Leh island
Tourists visit Maya Bay on Thailand's Phi Phi Leh island (AFP/Getty)

The Phi Phi islands are among the most popular travel destinations in Thailand, made famous for Western travellers by the 2000 film The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Thailand is one of the most popular destinations for British tourists, with almost a million people visiting last year.

Tourism in the Southeast Asian country is experiencing unprecedented growth this year, driven partly by the popular HBO series The White Lotus, filmed on the Koh Samui island.

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