Bangkok, Thailand – The two-month search for Jakob Jensen, a 41-year-old Danish national who went missing in Thailand, has ended in tragedy. Thai authorities have confirmed that Jensen died in custody at Phra Khanong Police Station in Bangkok on March 26, 2025, just weeks after he was last seen behaving erratically in public. His identity remained unknown until late May, prolonging the agony for his family and raising serious concerns about the treatment of foreigners in distress and cross-border missing persons protocols.
Jakob Jensen’s Disappearance and Final Days
Jensen arrived in Thailand on February 2, 2025, staying initially with a friend in Ranong province. Loved ones say his mental health deteriorated after he reportedly stopped taking prescribed medication. On March 1, his concerned friend took him to Suvarnabhumi Airport, hoping he would return to Denmark. However, Jensen never boarded his flight. After a final email to his mother on March 2, he vanished from communication.
By March 19, Jensen had returned to Ranong, where he was spotted at the Palmy Hotel, displaying symptoms of paranoia and disorientation. Following a psychotic episode that led to property damage, tourist police helped him settle the issue and put him on a bus to Bangkok. He claimed he intended to visit a friend, but was reportedly seen disembarking early in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
He arrived in Bangkok by March 22 and was filmed in a visibly distressed state by bystanders. Two encounters with Lumphini Police Station followed, including a referral to Somdet Chaopraya Psychiatric Hospital. He was quickly discharged.
On March 26, police from Phra Khanong responded to reports of a distressed foreign man shouting suicidal threats in Khlong Toei. Jensen, who had no identification, was arrested and held as an unidentified foreigner. That evening, officers discovered him unresponsive in his cell. Despite attempted resuscitation, he was declared dead. His body was transferred to Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine for autopsy.
Family’s Search and Delayed Identification
Despite an international missing persons alert issued by Denmark on May 6, it took weeks to link Jensen to the unidentified body in Bangkok. His sister, Anne Jensen, led the campaign to find him, launching a viral Reddit post titled “HELP! My little brother has gone missing!” and working closely with Thai volunteers, a private investigator, and ScandAsia, a media outlet for Scandinavian expats.
The delay in matching Jensen to the body has triggered scrutiny of interagency coordination and procedures for identifying foreign nationals in Thai custody. His passport and black cabin bag remain missing.
Danish Embassy Involvement and Public Reaction
The Danish Embassy in Bangkok is now working with Thai officials to formalize the identification and arrange the repatriation of his remains. Anne Jensen confirmed the tragic news to Danish media outlet B.T., saying:
“My brother Jakob Jensen is dead. He died on the 26th of March 2025 in a cell in Bangkok. He didn’t have any ID on him.”
Jensen’s visa had expired at the time of his death, technically rendering him an overstayer, but his family criticized both Thai and Danish authorities for the lack of urgency and transparency in the search.
Broader Implications
This case has drawn comparisons to another recent missing Dane in Thailand, Brian Dilling Pedersen, who was later found alive and living in Nakhon Si Thammarat with a new Thai partner. While Pedersen’s story had a positive outcome, Jensen’s death underscores the risks faced by foreigners experiencing mental health crises abroad—especially when systems fail to respond appropriately.
