Thailand’s Immigration Bureau revealed yesterday, October 24, that Dutch television presenter Emile Ratelband, who was reported missing in Thailand by his family, had already left the country for Laos in late 2025.
The discovery followed a nationwide search ordered by the immigration chief after the 70 year old presenter’s family and relatives in Phuket appealed for information and offered a €2,500 reward for help finding him.
The case attracted attention in the Netherlands after reports circulated on social media about the family’s search for Ratelband. His relatives believed he had disappeared in Thailand and identified a close friend named Natalia, with whom they believed he might be staying, as a possible lead.
According to the Immigration Bureau, immigration records showed that Ratelband and Natalia entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport in December 2021. Both remained in the country with valid visas, and their accommodation was registered in a province in the southern part of central Thailand.
Further checks established that Emile Ratelband left Thailand for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic through a Friendship Bridge border crossing in late 2025.
Natalia also departed Thailand on the same day, although she travelled to a different destination. Immigration records showed that she boarded a flight from Suvarnabhumi Airport to an unspecified country in the Middle East.
The Immigration Bureau confirmed that its records contained no subsequent entries showing either Ratelband or Natalia returning to Thailand.
Despite establishing their departures, immigration police have not confirmed Ratelband’s current whereabouts.
The Immigration Bureau’s Investigation Division has been instructed to gather further information to help Ratelband’s family locate him and assist agencies responsible for foreign tourist safety.
The bureau reiterated its commitment to screening foreign nationals, including those considered vulnerable to deception or exploitation and those assessed as potential national security risks.
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The story Immigration records reveal Dutch presenter’s departure to Laos as seen on Thaiger News.