Family offer reward for boy who went missing in Thailand’s ‘Sin City’ Pattaya famed for sex industry

A worried family have offered a reward to find and ‘detain on sight’ a British teenager who went missing in Thailand’s ‘Sin City’ Pattaya over the weekend.

Ryan White, 17, from Gateshead, arrived in the capital Bangkok on May 12, but has since lost contact with relatives.

His family believe he is now staying in the notorious party city of Pattaya some 90 miles (145km) away. The city has been dubbed the ‘sex capital’ of the world and a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah thanks to its round-the-clock sex industry.

Fearing for the teenager’s safety, his family have taken to social media asking friends to help find him – offering 10,000 THB (around £234) as a reward.

They have also pleaded with the 17-year-old runaway to come home, telling him: ‘Nothing you could do or say would ever change how loved you are.’

Ryan White’s family believes he is staying in the notorious party city of Pattaya some 90 miles (145 kilometres) away from Bangkok

In a Facebook post yesterday, his aunt, Kimberley Christoforato, said: ‘Reward of 10,000 THB (234 GBP) for detaining Ryan on sight and calling the police.

‘Unfortunately, due to having an 18-month-old, I have had to return home to the UK. We will have family returning over ASAP though and this post will be updated as and when.

‘This is my nephew, Ryan White. He is from Gateshead, UK. He has been missing since Friday 12th May 2023. He is 17 years old, so still a minor.

‘He took a flight to Bangkok and we are currently aware that he is staying somewhere in the Pattaya community. His whereabouts were known until the evening of Sunday 14th, but no one has seen him or heard from him since.

‘If anyone has any information, or knows someone who is holidaying or living in Pattaya who could have any information please can you get in touch.

‘And Ryan, if you read this, please come home. Nothing you could do or say would ever change how loved you are, nor how worried we are for your safety and wellbeing.’

She said that the family has sought the help of the British and Thai embassies as well as local police to find the runaway.

Pattaya has been dubbed the ‘sex capital’ of the world and a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah thanks to its round-the-clock sex industry (file image of a street in Pattaya)

Thailand’s military government has made efforts to clean up the party city of Pattaya after it was dubbed the ‘sex capital’ of the world (file image of people dancing in Pattaya)

The Facebook post has since been shared almost 900 times as people offered their support to the distraught family.

Thailand’s current military government has made efforts to clean up Pattaya after it was dubbed the ‘sex capital’ of the world and a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah thanks to its round-the-clock sex industry.

A large number of British ex-pats have also set up bars in the sun-drenched resort, which has become an attractive place for pensioners to retire.