Thai solo travel icon ‘Auntie Backpacker’ dies at 73

A Thai travel influencer known as “Auntie Backpacker,” Kanchana Puntutaecha, has died. She was 73.

Kanchana, better known as “Auntie Backpacker” or “Auntie Paew,” died peacefully on the morning of September 3, according to a message posted on her Facebook page.

Kanchana was a well-known retired traveler and an inspiration to several generations of travelers, particularly retirees and those interested in solo travel.

With her cheerful personality, adventurous spirit and positive outlook on life, she attracted a large following by sharing stories of her solo backpacking trips in Thailand and abroad.

Her Facebook page, which has 109,000 followers, also features photos of her as a guest speaker at various forums, where she shared her travel experiences after retiring from the Public Health Ministry.

Following news of her death, followers posted messages of condolence and thanked Kanchana for inspiring them to pursue their dreams, bringing them happiness and showing that age was no barrier to exploring the wider world.

From retirement to backpacking the world

Kanchana said in interviews that she had never planned what she would do after retirement.

Born into a provincial family where hardship was part of everyday life, she received a nursing scholarship after completing high school and spent her working life as a civil servant.

After retiring, Kanchana felt she was still healthy and feared that staying at home would leave her bored and lead to health problems. She therefore decided to find new activities to keep herself occupied.

She began traveling alone around Thailand in 2014. At the time, she had no plans to travel abroad alone.

That changed after she read a book about backpacking overseas. She began to think that she could do it herself and decided to venture abroad.

Kanchana funded her travels with money she had saved throughout her working life.

Her philosophy was simple: She wanted to live life without feeling lonely, find happiness for herself and spend her own money without causing hardship for anyone else.

Her story made her a role model for many older people, showing that retirement could mark the beginning of a new chapter filled with travel, independence and adventure.

Her cremation will take place today at a temple in Bangkok.

Kanchana's death comes just weeks after the deaths of two other well-known Thai travel-content creators, Hlun Solo and Ray MacDonald.

Hlun Solo, 27, died while traveling in Georgia in July, while Ray MacDonald, 49, an actor and television presenter known for his travel programs, died suddenly at his Bangkok home in August.