A famous Thai YouTuber who was kidnapped by a terrorist group while visiting Mali, Africa to film travel content was released after 25 days.
The Bangkok Post reported on the 28th that Noparat Ratanawara, a 49-year-old plastic surgeon kidnapped in Mali, was released after paying $ 150,000 (213 million won) to a terrorist group and returned to Thailand on the 25th.
According to reports, Noparat, a YouTuber who runs a popular travel channel, has left for Africa to travel to nine countries, including Afghanistan, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso.
He arrived in Mali on the 28th of last month and disappeared after losing contact with the local guide.
Nopparat, who was kidnapped by gunmen in Kemparana, Mali, spoke to his family within three weeks and the kidnappers demanded a ransom.
The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also known to have taken the lead in reviving Nopparat, but the identity of the terrorist group that kidnapped him and paid the ransom was not disclosed.
“Five or six gunmen surrounded me like a movie,” Noparat said at a press conference the day before.
“The kidnappers weren’t aggressive and didn’t hurt me, but they didn’t have enough food and water,” he said.
The Bangkok Post warned that terrorism by Islamic extremist groups is frequent in the Sahel region south of the Sahara in Africa, where Mali and Burkina Faso are located, and kidnappings are also on the rise.
Reporter Lee Bo-bae, Hankyung.com [email protected]
