PATTAYA, Thailand – A Russian mother has flown to Pattaya in a desperate attempt to locate her missing son, who vanished more than a week ago along with 10,000 US dollars, raising fears that he may have been abducted or harmed.
At 12:16 a.m. on January 14, Ms. Olga Lazabenko, 51, a Russian national, spoke to reporters through an interpreter, saying she travelled from Russia to Pattaya after losing all contact with her son, Mr. Mikhail Emelianov, 30, also a Russian national. He has been missing since January 7, and his whereabouts and condition remain unknown.
Ms. Olga said she has already filed a missing person report with Pattaya City Police, but so far there has been no progress in the case, leaving her deeply worried.
According to information relayed by the interpreter, Mr. Mikhail had been living and doing business in Pattaya for around two years. On the last day they spoke, he sounded anxious and told his mother he was going to meet two Russian men to negotiate a cannabis-related business deal. He reportedly warned her that the men appeared dangerous and that he felt uneasy about the meeting.
Throughout that day, Mr. Mikhail shared his location with his mother. Later in the evening, he contacted her again, saying he was traveling to Bangkok with the two men. He told her that if he lost contact for more than two hours, it would mean he was in danger and instructed her to immediately contact the police.
Shortly after that call, all communication ceased, exactly as he had feared. Alarmed, Ms. Olga contacted one of her son’s senior friends in Pattaya to help search for him. The friend went to a cannabis shop where Mr. Mikhail was a business partner and reportedly encountered the two Russian men mentioned earlier. The men were allegedly in possession of Mr. Mikhail’s mobile phone, but Mr. Mikhail himself was nowhere to be found.
Fearing for their safety, the friend did not confront the men and instead waited for Mr. Mikhail to make contact again. When no contact came, the family decided to formally report him missing to Pattaya police the following day.
Ms. Olga also revealed that her son had previously asked her for 10,000 US dollars to invest in his business. She does not know where the money is now or whether it is linked to his disappearance. She said she is unaware of any specific conflicts her son may have had.
“I am extremely worried because I don’t know if my son is alive or what has happened to him,” she said, appealing to police to urgently intensify efforts to locate him before it is too late.
She has provided police with photographs and CCTV footage showing her son shortly before he disappeared, hoping they will serve as crucial leads. She also urged anyone who may have seen her son or has information about his whereabouts to contact Pattaya City Police immediately.
