A Danish man has mysteriously vanished in southern Thailand after meeting a much younger woman he’d connected with online, sparking fears he’s fallen victim to an extortion plot.
Brian Dilling Pedersen was last heard from on May 28 after a string of increasingly disturbing messages and a chilling final call in which he whispered, “I am afraid; they are many; I am afraid.”
His son, Steven Risager Madsen, believes his 59 year old father may have been lured into a honeytrap by a woman he met on Facebook, possibly as part of a wider extortion racket operating in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
The Dane flew to Thailand on December 20, last year, mostly spending time in Kusuman district, Sakon Nakhon, his apparent base. On April 12, he crossed from Laos into Bangkok and likely returned to Kusuman before heading south again on May 26, reportedly to meet a 21 year old Thai woman.
The pair were in touch via Facebook, and on May 27, Pedersen messaged his son sounding upbeat, even sending a photo of a woman and a child relaxing on his bed. He said he planned to return to Denmark by June 7, ahead of his visa expiry.
But the following day, everything changed.
Visible distress
During a brief video call on May 28, Pedersen showed a glimpse of his room at Ban Chai Khlong in Pak Phanang, then abruptly stopped speaking and stared off-camera in visible distress, before the line went dead.
Pedersen’s son fears that was the moment someone seized his phone, wiping his Facebook profile and Messenger history soon afterwards. Luckily, Steven had already taken screenshots of messages and photos.
Three days later, on May 31, Pedersen managed one more fleeting phone call, this time from a Thai number known to ScandAsia journalists. He barely got a few words out before the call dropped, uttering only: “I am afraid; they are many; I am afraid.”
“From being in love on Wednesday to sounding terrified on Saturday, something is clearly wrong,” Steven told reporters.
He has since lodged a missing persons report with police in East Jutland, Denmark, who are now combing through Pedersen’s bank records between May 27 and 31 for signs of financial foul play.
Meanwhile, ScandAsia confirmed with Ban Chai Khlong Restaurant that Pedersen had been staying alone and checked out solo on June 3.
Missing persons
Acting on Steven’s behalf, ScandAsia publisher Gregers Moller filed a missing persons case with Thailand’s Tourist Police, but was told the proper report must be filed with Ban Chao Khlong precinct in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
So far, there’s no conclusive evidence linking the young woman to wrongdoing but one cryptic Facebook post from her account, reading “Have you got the agreed amount ready now?” has raised serious red flags.
Steven is now pleading with Thai police to act urgently and is appealing to the public for any information.
Anyone who may know the whereabouts of Brian Dilling Pedersen is urged to contact local police or reach out to ScandAsia.com.
The story Danish man’s Thai-mare: Missing dad feared caught in honeytrap as seen on Thaiger News.
