Pattaya —
A desperate family of a missing German real estate tycoon, Mr. Hans Peter Mack, petitioned the deputy national police chief, Pol. Lt. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, widely known by his nickname “Big Joke,” to assist in locating their missing loved one.
First our previous story:
Now for our update:
The wife, ex-wife, and children of Mr. Hans met with Big Joke on Monday, July 10th, to call for him to help find Mr. Hans, who went missing from his Pattaya residence on July 4th, with his whereabouts still unknown.
Ms. Pat, identified as Mr. Hans’ wife, revealed to Thai media that she had an appointment with her husband at 2 PM on July 4th, 2023, to meet a client. However, he insisted on meeting an important client first.
When it was about 2 PM and her husband did not return, Ms. Pat tried calling him but couldn’t reach him because his phone was continuously turned on and off. Eventually, she received a message from her husband’s phone saying, “I’m with the client. I’ll call you back.” However, she confirms that her husband had never sent her a message of this nature before and it was unusual.
In the end, Ms. Pat lost contact with her husband altogether on July 4th with the last message from him stating, “I have to be with the client and will have a meal with them.”
The wife now believes that Mr. Hans was abducted possibly by a group of people who had association with her husband’s real estate business. This is because he had never missed an appointment, gone out of touch, and is always punctual. He is also known for being early or, if there were any problems, he would always call her to let her know, according to Ms. Pat.
When asked if she suspects anyone, the wife specified that she suspects the person who was last seen with her husband at a restaurant via a CCTV recording. However, she emphasized that this is not an accusation.
In a message to the possible abductor, Ms. Pat said, “Let me know if you want anything but just bring my husband back. Everyone is worried and we’re waiting,”
According to the investigating team, three German individuals who were considered persons of interest had been interrogated so far at the Nong Prue Police Station last night, but none of them provided any useful information.
Nevertheless, upon examining the financial transactions in the missing person’s account, it was found that over 2 million baht had been transferred out of his account multiple times. The person responsible for the transfers was not found to be in Thailand, as the location data indicated their presence in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Big Joke agreed to assist on the case and is working on finding Mr. Hans, coming personally to Pattaya to help guide the case. Big Joke, whose nickname comes from his love for the Thai porridge “Jok” and his easy-going demeanour even under high stress, has an excellent track record of solving difficult cases in Thailand. He is also well-known for ferreting out corruption.
The family believes Hans is alive and holds out hope for his safe return.
