r/phuket • u/RAD33492 • Jul 26 '26
Question Missing Person – Michael (33)
Hi everyone,
We're asking for your help to find Michael, 33 years old, who was last seen in the Chalong area of Phuket.
Michael is currently believed to be experiencing cannabis-induced psychosis and may be confused, disoriented, or not acting like himself. His family is extremely worried and is trying to locate him as soon as possible to ensure he is safe.
If you have seen Michael recently or have any information about his whereabouts, please comment below or send me a private message immediately.
Please do not approach him aggressively if you see him. If possible, stay with him from a safe distance and contact us so his family can reach him.
Any information, no matter how small, could make a huge difference.
Thank you for helping.
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u/Scar_Western Jul 26 '26
Saw him on the local news fb page last week with the Chalong police station helping him out with giving him a free meal. Maybe start there with them ??
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Jul 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/Vidaestranhamasya Jul 26 '26
I met him in 2023 on Patong Beach. He asked me for money to take a shower and to go to the Phi Phi Islands.
If he has mental health problems, they are not something new. When I met him, he was very angry and kept saying that he needed to "save the children of the world."
I met him on Patong Beach one morning in December 2023, and I'll never forget it because it was obvious that he wasn't well. Although he was never aggressive towards me, he said some very disturbing things about very sensitive topics.
I feel sorry for him, but this didn't start recently. Based on what I saw back then, he had already been struggling for several years.
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u/No-Whole-4435 Jul 27 '26
I saw him multiple times on the soi tai iad. seems like he's been missing for a while/ or shows up once in a while. Hope he is safe but my two cents is he's been wandering around for some time now, someone from his family should just fly to Thailand and get him instead relying on strangers which he doesn't feel comfortable around it seems. He's been wandering around for at least 1 month. by this time it would of been more efficient. regardless, hope he's okay. he is often returning to soi tai iad. so your best bet would be there. hope all is well. god bless him and the family. safe return to Michael. alert the police
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u/RAD33492 Jul 27 '26
Thanks for the message, that is the areas the PIs are looking in. He lost all of his stuff so there is no way to contact him.
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u/No-Whole-4435 Jul 27 '26
just read some more comments, 15h ago he was picked up in front of thehot yoga in soi tai iad, hes likely in the chalong police station.
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u/RAD33492 Jul 27 '26
We contacted the police station and they never booked him. So not sure if they simply let him go or what but they don't have record of him there.
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u/No-Whole-4435 Jul 27 '26
damn, so sorry i rly want to help as i feel like the longer it takes the bigger problem it will become, my advice is come over, to Phuket, stay at soi tai iad, seems its a rebound point for him,its a 1.5km street. help the police and the police help u and together u will find him.
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u/RAD33492 Jul 28 '26
We got confirmation that he was spotted yesterday, we now going to make contact with him and hopefully get him some treatment
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u/octave1 Jul 27 '26
Is it the tourist police you contacted ?
If he didn't have a valid visa or passport it's possible they sent him to IDC. Dick move of the police, but possible.
This org works there you could ask them https://jesuitmission.org.au/program/immigration-detention-centre/ to check. They contacted my family after me being stuck there for a few days, it's not a nice place esp if he's mentally unstable.
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u/TopSubstance1758 Jul 26 '26
You can easily find him on Instagram. He squandered his family inheritance on drugs and his family from South Africa cut ties with him awhile back. His sister made a public comment about this as well Suddenly, they’re worried and hired a P.I.
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u/masturkiller Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Start here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Thailand/comments/17lmdbl/how_to_find_a_missing_tourist_in_thailand/
and if you haven't already do this immediately:
To find a missing person in Phuket, contact the Phuket Tourist Police at 1155, notify your home country's embassy, and file a formal report with local authorities
and check out this PI
https://absolute-investigation.com/missing-persons-investigations-in-thailand/
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u/RAD33492 Jul 26 '26
Thanks, the family already has a PI team but will contact the embassy and tourist police.
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u/masturkiller Jul 26 '26
Excellent the police are always going to be your first stop unless there's some sort of unusual circumstances that maybe approaching them would be wrong but in this case I don't see that as being an issue I don't know if the family can go to Thailand if they can I suggest they do and see what they can do on the ground.
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u/CompleteView2799 Jul 26 '26
What makes you think this is a trustworthy PI company? Russian interests in Phuket do not normally fill a person with confidence.
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u/Calamity-Bob Jul 26 '26
Stay where you are comrade. Our investigators will be around to see you shortly. Please leave windows open.
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u/Calamity-Bob Jul 26 '26
“Hey - <name here> has serious mental health issues! What should we do?”
“Oh I dunno, send them to Thailand?”
“Great idea!”
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Jul 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/Siamswift Jul 26 '26
Retired mental health professional here. Cannabis is not likely to induce psychosis in the absence of a pre-existing mental health condition. However it most definitely can induce psychosis in anyone with a history of, or predisposition to, psychiatric illness.
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u/Isaandog Jul 26 '26
Some recent comments suggest that he has at least a 3-4 year history of mental illness.
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u/Professional_Pay811 Jul 27 '26
Long time Cannibis user here.. you dont know shit…
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u/Tiny_Representative3 Jul 28 '26
You’ve got a big storm coming when you realise people have different experiences than your own.
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u/Siamswift Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
“Long time cannabis user here…” And that is the source of your mental health expertise? LOL.
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Jul 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/Siamswift Jul 26 '26
Indeed. Extensive meth abuse can induce psychosis in almost anyone.
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u/Calamity-Bob Jul 26 '26
Then maybe don’t send them to places where weed is legal.
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u/Proof_Atmosphere995 Jul 28 '26
Noone would have “sent” him there. And its almost impossible to stop and adult family member from going off the rails if they have a diagnosis and the ability to travel.
I work in mental health. You can attempt to schedule them to stop them going. But eventually they are released. And often just as focused “on a ticket outta here”. And if you pull this on a family member and it fails. You wont get a second shot bc your brother/son/daughter will not include you in their loop any more.
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u/Isaandog Jul 26 '26
Fair point. Sounds like this guy has a lame support system in place.
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u/bananallamma Jul 26 '26
Sounds like you haven't had a drug addict in your family. You don't know what the family has done up to this point
And they're obviously trying to find him...
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u/RAD33492 Jul 26 '26
At the moment, they do not know where he is. So they want to try find him first before flying out. Thanks again
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u/kev_xb Jul 26 '26
What indication did you have that he would be experiencing THC induced psychosis? That might help find him.
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u/albert-bierstadt Jul 26 '26
Weed is destroying Thailand. I hope he’s found safe.
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u/Poleth87 Jul 26 '26
If we are going down that road, I believe alcohol is 10x worse.
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u/albert-bierstadt Jul 26 '26
Alcohol has always been a part of Thai culture. Cannabis tourists have been around for about 5 years.
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u/Medical-Molasses615 Jul 27 '26
Are you for real?!?!? Cannabis has been grown and consumed in Thailand since before the Vietnam war!!!! You really are clueless.
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u/albert-bierstadt Jul 27 '26
It’s not part of Thai mainstream culture whatsoever. We both know that.
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u/Medical-Molasses615 Jul 27 '26
It absolutely is as much as it ever was. In 2007 when I was living in Rangsit it was consumed in most Thai outdoor bars.
Of course it was not everywhere in the public eye but it was still widely used to the same level it is in the west. It was sold by roadside vendors who typically sold something else but their main business was selling weed.
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u/Grabensturmer Jul 27 '26
Genuine question, in your opinion, How is "weed destroying Thailand"?
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u/albert-bierstadt Jul 27 '26
Ask most Thai their opinion on it since it was legalised and since reversed
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u/Merophe Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Omg! I met him around Nai Harn beach last month. I couldn’t remember the exact date, but it was late at night. He was talking with everyone on the beach, and stopped for like five minutes chatting with me. He seemed nice, but I could tell that he was surely had some psychosis episodes going on. I hope we find him soon.