Rescue teams are still searching for TV star Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, who fell from a speedboat into the Chao Phraya River near Rama VII Bridge late on Thursday evening.
Nida, 37, was one of six passengers on the speedboat traveling from Bangkok’s Krung Thon Bridge to Nonthaburi’s Rama VII Bridge.
It was reportedly at 10:40pm that she fell from the boat when it was close to Pibul 1 dock in Nonthaburi’s Muang district.
Soon after, search and rescue efforts commenced. She was still missing as of Friday evening, with divers on the scene unable to locate her.
Tangmo was reportedly seated on the back of the boat when she fell into the river, according to sources. Those on board said she did not have a life jacket on.
People in the area at the time reported to police that they heard individuals on the speedboat yelling, “Mo’s gone!” and “Mo, where are you?”
Around midnight, rescuers and divers arrived on the site. They said there was a strong current and very little light, which hampered their operations.
Panida Sirayootyotin, Tangmo’s mother, claimed her missing daughter was a competent swimmer but may not be able to cope with the strong current of the Chao Phraya.
With 1.81 million hashtags so far, Tangmo was the most popular tweet hashtag on Twitter on Friday.
During the morning and evening rush hours, the search was halted so that river traffic could pass.
In the evening, searchers were hunting for evidence of a body on the water’s surface and in areas under waterside residences. The speedboat was being examined by police detectives.
Tangmo was born in Bangkok on September 13, 1984. She earned a bachelor’s degree in leadership in society, business, and politics from Rangsit University’s College of Social Innovation.
Tangmo Patcharaveerapong was her birth name. She went on to change it twice, firstly to Pataratida, and then later to Nida.
When Tangmo was in seventh school, she decided to pursue a career in entertainment. In the Miss Teen Thailand 2002 beauty pageant, she finished in fourth place.
The actress has received lead parts in a number of Channel 7 soap operas in recent years.
