Jakob Jensen, a Danish national who had been missing in Thailand since March, has been confirmed dead. He died on March 26 while in custody at a Bangkok police station but remained unidentified for over two months.
The 41-year-old’s disappearance gained widespread attention after his family posted a plea for help on Reddit last month under the title: “HELP! My little brother has gone missing!” The post detailed Jensen’s mental health struggles, his last known movements in Thailand, and the family’s fears that he was in a psychotic state without access to his medication.
On May 29, the family posted a heartbreaking update: “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. He stopped breathing while he slept and despite the police trying to revive him, they didn't succeed. We had hired an investigator, and he just told us about it. Thank you for all your support and help!”
Timeline of disappearance
Jensen arrived in Thailand in early February and stayed in the southern province of Ranong. His mental health began to deteriorate, reportedly due to a lapse in taking prescribed medication.
On March 21, after damaging property during a psychotic episode at a guesthouse in Ranong, tourist police assisted him onto a bus to Bangkok. He told officers he planned to visit a friend, though his family knew of no such contact.
A reported sighting in Prachuap Khiri Khan province led to speculation that he may have exited the bus early, and for weeks it was considered his last known location. With no further communication and his phone switched off since March 3, concern for his safety escalated.
An alert for a missing person was issued by Danish authorities in May.
Death in custody
It has now emerged that Jensen did arrive in Bangkok by March 22 and was seen in a disoriented state in several locations. On March 26, police responded to a report of a distressed foreign man behaving erratically in traffic near Klong Toei. He was reportedly shouting suicidal threats and appeared to be in mental distress.
The man was taken into custody by police from Phra Khanong station. Without identification and showing signs of psychological distress, he was placed in a holding cell. Police later found him unresponsive during the night. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead that evening.
His body was transferred to the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University and listed as an unidentified foreigner.
Delayed identification
The delay in confirming his identity — over two months — has raised questions over interagency communication, especially given the international missing persons alert that had been in place.
It was only after the family hired a private investigator, supported by expat volunteers and a Thai NGO, that the connection was made between the unidentified body and the missing Dane.
Jensen’s family have voiced frustration over the lack of progress from both Thai and Danish authorities. Despite contacting embassies, police and the media, they were unable to confirm his fate until late May.
The discovery has brought closure to a harrowing search, but also deep frustration.