BANGKOK — Dutch television personality Emile Ratelband, 77, who was reported missing by his family in Thailand, left the country in late 2025 and has not been recorded as returning, Thai immigration police said on Saturday.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimpadee, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau and its spokesperson, said immigration authorities had ordered all relevant units to investigate after reports emerged in the Netherlands that Ratelband’s family and relatives in Phuket were seeking information about his whereabouts.
The family has offered a €2,500 reward for information leading to his discovery, according to reports.
Immigration records show Ratelband and a close female friend, identified as Natalia, entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport in December 2021 and stayed legally on visas, with accommodation registered in a province in the lower central region.
Ratelband left Thailand for Laos via the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge in late 2025, while Natalia departed on the same day by air from Suvarnabhumi Airport to a country in the Middle East, Choengron said.
Neither has any recorded entry into Thailand since their departures, according to immigration records.
The Immigration Bureau has assigned its investigation division to gather additional information that could help the family locate Ratelband and assist agencies responsible for the safety of foreign tourists, Choengron said.
He added that immigration authorities prioritise screening foreign nationals, including those at risk of becoming victims of scams and those who may pose security concerns.
