British teenager who vanished in Thai jungle found alive after 10 days of eating ants and bark

The 19-year-old was last seen leaving a hotel in the area, prompting an urgent search by police.

It is understood he survived in the jungle for 10 days.

Police Colonel Santi Phithaksakul, Superintendent of Sangkhla Buri Police Station, received news on Monday that Mr Honour was alive.

“The interrogation revealed that Mr Lawrence intended to go to Payathonzu in Karen State, Myanmar,” the police chief said, according to The Sun.

“He had planned to go through the Three Pagodas border pass on September 27, but the checkpoint had already closed.”

The teen traveller claimed he kept alive by consuming insects and tree bark to stave off hunger, whilst navigating the challenging terrain in the jungle.

Despite having charged his mobile phone upon setting off, the he lost his bearings as night fell.

According to officials, there was no indication that Mr Honour had been abused or trafficked.

His mother had filed a report with police following his disappearance at the end of September.

She told officers she feared he had been "tricked" into going "one of these scam centres in Myanmar", where they "don't let people leave", The Sun reports.

It remains unclear why he had attempted to cross the border to Myanmar.

Myanmar, formerly Burma, descended into civil war in February 2021 when the military overthrew then-premier Aung San Suu Kyi.

The southeast Asian nation has been in turmoil since the coup, which triggered a nationwide armed rebellion that has wrested swathes of territory from the military.

The Foreign Office advises against Britons travelling to all parts of Myanmar.

It says: "The conflict is Myanmar is increasingly volatile.

"The security situation may deteriorate at short notice and the military regime can introduce travel restrictions at any time.

"Consider your travel plans carefully."