Big hunt for Chinese tourist who vanished near Tiger Zoo’s crocodile area

Hundreds of police officers and administrative officials yesterday scoured the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo for 36-year-old Gao Li Ping, who came alone to join a group tour on Sunday.
Tour guide Jingya Sae Jao said he led a party of 37, including Gao, to the zoo on but she did not return to the tour bus later.
“She looked so vacant and unhappy. She did not talk to anyone during the trip. I was afraid that she would commit suicide,” he said yesterday.
“Initially, I started looking for her myself and asked zoo staff to help check CCTV footage, which suggested her last position was around the crocodile area. So I decided to alert police.”
Officers began searching for Gao on Sunday night, but the operation was called off after a few hours amid heavy rain.
Yesterday, officials from various agencies including the Immigration Bureau joined the effort to locate the missing woman.
Nong Kham provincial police commander Pol Colonel Chanapat Nawalak said Gao was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt, red shorts, white sneakers, a pink wide-brimmed hat and a black backpack.
Investigations showed that Gao had divorced from her husband before heading to Thailand alone.
About two years ago, a 65-year-old Bangkok woman killed herself by jumping into a pit of crocodiles at Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo.