‘Chompoo – Lost & Forgotten’: Where is Chaiphol ‘Uncle Phol’ Wipha now?
Chompoo: Lost & Forgotten marks Netflix Thailand’s first-ever true-crime documentary, bringing to light the tragic 2020 murder case of three-year-old Nong Chompoo, whose perpetrator, Chaiphol ‘Uncle Phol’ Wipha, bizarrely transformed into an internet sensation capitalising on public emotion.
Nong Chompoo disappeared from her home in Ban Kok Kork on May 11th that year, and was found dead three days later on May 14th in the remote Phu Phan Noi forest. The inhumane nature of the crime sparked nationwide panic and an intense “media circus,” specifically taking social media by storm and attracting the attention of influencers.
As subsequent investigations allegedly unfolded, several suspects were named due to the lack of surveillance facilities in the remote village. Despite that, the media frenzy was unparalleled because the victim’s uncle, Chaiphol Wipha, AKA Uncle Phol, interviewed in the Netflix documentary Chompoo: Lost & Forgotten, evolved from a grieving family member to an internet celebrity within days.
Uncle Phol’s growing celebrity momentum caught the journalists’ and YouTubers’ attention. But what’s more shocking is that he released a song with the famous Thai singer Jintara, adding to his already bustling fame.
When Uncle Phol was subsequently named the primary suspect, with Chompoo’s parents also backing the possibility, widespread social media support for the perpetrator grew alongside a viral campaign in support of his innocence led by the tag #SaveUnclePol.
While several disturbing pieces of evidence were found against Uncle Phol, the most incriminating one was discovered when forensic investigators found Nong Chompoo’s hair inside his pickup truck and microscopic cut marks matching the cuts from the crime scene.
Chaiphol Wipha received a 20-year sentence for negligence causing death and child abduction in December 2023, with the court overturning the negligence ruling and finding him guilty of intentional murder in August 2025.
Wipha was ultimately charged with child abduction, intentional murder, and abandoning a child, causing death, and his sentence was extended to another six years, making it 26 years in total.
Although he received an initial bail, he was later denied a bail request following the murder conviction. For those wondering, Wipha is currently serving his sentence in prison. However, his legal team is allegedly considering options to appeal again to the Thailand Supreme Court.