A British teenager has been found alive after spending more than two weeks lost in the remote jungles of Thailand, surviving on ants and tree bark. Lawrence Stallard Honour, 19, emerged emaciated and dishevelled but unharmed after wandering over 150 miles along the Mekong River.
Lawrence was last seen leaving a hotel on September 27, heading towards the border with Myanmar. Police Colonel Santi Phithaksakul said Lawrence intended to cross into Myanmar but found the checkpoint closed. He attempted to climb the fence but was forced onto a bus to a nearby resort, where he could not check in due to lack of funds. After charging his phone, he set off and became lost in the forest as darkness fell.
His mother, Gulnara, a Russian-Thai national, reported him missing after he vanished without warning. She feared he may have been lured by scammers offering fake job opportunities in Myanmar. The army was deployed to border crossings with missing posters bearing Lawrence's British passport photo.
Two weeks later, villagers reported a foreign man living quietly at Wat Tham Kaew Sawan Bandan, a hilltop Buddhist temple known for sheltering travellers. Soldiers found Lawrence alone and disoriented but physically unharmed. He had survived by eating ants and tree bark, relying on his instincts to stay alive.
His mother expressed gratitude to police, soldiers, and volunteers, saying, 'I am thankful beyond words. He is safe now, and that is all that matters. I hope this story warns others to be careful.'
