BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is checking additional information to help locate Dutch television presenter Emile Ratelband, 70, after his family raised concerns that he had gone missing, while authorities say records show he left Thailand in late 2025.
Immigration Bureau spokesman Pol Maj Gen Cherngron Rimphadee said on October 24 that Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Noppasin Poolsawat had ordered immigration units to investigate and trace Ratelband after reports of the case emerged in the Netherlands.
Checks found that Ratelband and a close female companion, identified as Natalia, entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport in December 2021. Both reportedly stayed in Thailand legally, with visa arrangements and accommodation details registered with immigration authorities.
However, records showed that Ratelband left Thailand for Laos through a Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in late 2025. Natalia reportedly departed Thailand on the same day, travelling by air from Suvarnabhumi Airport to a country in the Middle East. Immigration records showed no subsequent entries into Thailand for either person, according to the bureau.
Ratelband’s family and relatives, who are based in Phuket, have appealed for information about his whereabouts. Reports in the Netherlands said the family had offered a reward of €2,500, or nearly 100,000 baht, for information leading to his location. Immigration authorities have ordered their investigative division to gather further information that could assist the family and agencies responsible for the safety of foreign visitors.
The bureau said it remained focused on screening foreign nationals, including identifying people who may be vulnerable to deception or exploitation, as well as cases involving potential security concerns. The immigration findings establish that Ratelband left Thailand, but do not confirm his current whereabouts or explain the circumstances behind his family’s concerns. (Story, Photo: Khaosod)
