Seven-year-old Nong Boss, missing for 29 hours in Kalasin province, was found walking along a stream 30 kilometers from where he got lost. It was revealed he ran after a dog that took his shoe, leading him astray, before he raised his hands to ask locals fishing for food. He was taken to hospital and is being questioned in depth to find out how he traveled across provinces.
On 20 October 2026, updates emerged about the search for Nong Boss, or seven-year-old Thanaphon, who disappeared from a rice field in Ban Kut Bod, Song Ploy subdistrict, Khao Wong district, Kalasin province. He had followed his grandparents to work in the fields on the afternoon of 18 October, causing great concern among his family and local villagers because the area is vast and covers several districts. Rescue teams and volunteers searched continuously across the day and night but found no trace.
Then, at around 18:30 on 19 October 2026, good news came when Mr. Chanawut Utto, MP for Kalasin’s 6th district, along with Lt. Thawatchai Hemwang, Khao Wong district chief, and Police Colonel Somchai Phukongchana, Khao Wong police chief, received urgent word from the Muen Hin rescue team and volunteer networks. A local resident reported seeing a boy matching the missing child’s description, wandering alone in Ban Kaeng Nang, Kok Tum subdistrict, Dong Luang district, Mukdahan province, a neighboring province.
Upon receiving the report, Mr. Chanawut immediately coordinated with rescue teams at the scene to conduct an initial check and sent photos of the boy to the coordination center in Khao Wong district for family verification. Once the family saw the photos, they confirmed it was indeed Nong Boss, bringing tears of relief to his parents and relatives amid the joy of officials and villagers who had been involved in the search mission.
Following this, the Muen Hin rescue team, accompanied by Mr. Preeda Kruesri, Nong Boss’s grandfather, traveled to Ban Kaeng Nang, Kok Tum subdistrict, Dong Luang district, Mukdahan province, to bring the boy back to Khao Wong district, Kalasin province. He was rushed to Khao Wong Hospital for doctors and nurses to examine his physical condition, assess his mental state, and provide immediate care and rehabilitation, as he was initially found weak, exhausted, and frightened by the ordeal.
Mr. Preeda, the boy’s grandfather, said the place where his grandson was found is about 30 kilometers from the rice field where the family had been working. In a brief conversation, Nong Boss explained that a dog had grabbed his shoe and run off, so he chased the dog without noticing the direction. Before he realized it, he was deep in the forest and kept walking until he appeared near a stream in Dong Luang district, Mukdahan province.
Mr. Chanawut Utto, MP for Kalasin’s 6th district, expressed gratitude to all parties involved, including Lt. Thawatchai Hemwang, Khao Wong district chief, Police Colonel Somchai Phukongchana, Khao Wong police chief, local administration officers, police officers, the Muen Hin rescue team, Asok Somdet rescue, Kut Wa rescue, all rescue units, and volunteer villagers, for their help in successfully finding the boy.
He added that now efforts must focus on helping to heal the boy’s mind for some time, and he asked everyone not to disturb him so he can return to normal life. The main cause was the dog grabbing his blue sandal, which led him to follow the dog and become an unintended travel companion, walking nearly 30 kilometers from the starting point.
Eventually, locals who had come out to set fish traps found him and asked for his name and parents. The boy said he was lost and hungry, so he asked for food. The villagers took him to the assistant village headman’s house in Ban Kaeng Nang and contacted the command center. Initially, the team was skeptical due to conflicting rumors, so a rapid response unit was sent to the area to photograph and confirm the boy’s identity. Upon confirmation, he was found physically exhausted and immediately taken safely to the hospital for examination.
Meanwhile, additional reports stated that while lost in the forest and walking along the stream, the exhausted boy encountered locals fishing. He approached and asked for food, having not eaten all day. Noticing something unusual, the locals questioned him and learned he was lost. They quickly took him to the village, provided food and water for safety, and contacted authorities, who verified his identity.
Although Nong Boss was found safely, the case of him disappearing from a field in Khao Wong district, Kalasin province, and appearing in Dong Luang district, Mukdahan province—more than 30 kilometers away within just one day—remains under detailed investigation by police and relevant agencies. Officials will question details carefully to determine how the boy managed to reach that location.
At this stage, police have not ruled out any possibilities and cannot conclude whether others were involved in taking or accompanying the boy. They await official medical examination results and further investigative findings from the police detective team to reach a clear conclusion.