Harka Bahadur Subba went missing in Bangkok since January 23. He went to Bangkok with two other support staff and seven teachers of the school on a agriculture programme study tour.Harka Bahadur Subba’s son-in-law, Hem Raj Rai, said all the astrologers told them that their father is alive. “One astrologer told us that  he would be found in five days. Another said it would take more than two months.”

He said that since his wife is the eldest of Harka Bahandur Subba’s four children, consulting astrologers and praying for his wellbeing is all they can do within their capacity. “There is nothing much we can do. We have never been out of Bhutan and we are too poor to go to Bangkok to look for him.”

The family said the school’s vice principal informed them about their father and assured them that they are looking for him.

With school reopening on February 3, Harka Bahadur Subba’s three school-going children are worried.

While their cousins agreed to bear the school expenditure, the children would need someone to look after them.

Harka Bahadur’s nephew, Mohan Subba, said the family discussed and decided to keep Harka’s mother to cook and take care of the children. “We don’t know for how long we have to support them. We hope to find him soon.”

The family said Harka Bahadur’s eldest daughter is a housewife and has her own child to look after. “We are worried if she can look after her siblings,” a relative said. “Her younger siblings study in class eight, six and one.”

The children lost their mother when the youngest brother, who is eight years old now, was a toddler. Relatives said that Harka Bahadur raised the children alone by working as a cook.

Officials from Bhutanese Embassy in Thailand said that they are working closely with police in Thailand to look for Harka Bahadur.