An urgent international search is underway for a British man who vanished while travelling in Southeast Asia after a final video call with his family on Christmas Day.
Last Contact on Christmas Morning
Mark Counsell, a 31-year-old from Pontypool in South Wales, was last in contact with his loved ones between 9am and 10am on Thursday, 25 December. The video call, in which he wished his family a happy holiday, is the last confirmed sighting of the traveller.
Gwent Police have launched a public appeal, stating that Mark had been travelling in Thailand recently. Authorities believe he could now be in either Thailand or the Kuala Lumpur area of Malaysia, some 6,000 miles from home.
Description and Appeal for Information
Mark is described as a white male, 5ft 9in tall, with an average build. He has short brown hair with faded sides and a short brown or ginger beard, which is longer on the chin.
He was last seen wearing a khaki-coloured Fred Perry t-shirt. Police are urging anyone with information on his whereabouts to come forward immediately.
A Stark Reminder of Tourist Dangers
This distressing case echoes a similar incident from last year, highlighting the potential dangers for tourists in the region. In 2025, Ashton Jones, a 29-year-old British man on a last-minute trip to Bangkok, was found on life support after emergency brain surgery following a night out.
Ashton had been separated from friends and was missing for days before being discovered in a hospital, where medics believed he had been attacked. His family raised thousands to repatriate him to the UK weeks after the accident.
The disappearance of Mark Counsell serves as a sobering reminder for all travellers and has triggered a desperate multinational effort to locate him and ensure his safe return.
