Thread: Thai police investigating two more missing Chinese nationals

Thailand police have launched investigations into the disappearances of two more Chinese nationals amid human trafficking concerns, with one case bearing similarities to that of rescued Chinese actor Wang Xing.


Wang, also known by his stage name Xing Xing, disappeared after travelling to Thailand and was found on Tuesday (Jan 7) near the border of Myanmar in an area where online scam networks operate. Thai police have said he was a victim of human trafficking.

One case involves a male model named Yang Zeqi who went missing in late December, while the other involves the disappearance of a young woman, Wu Jiaqi, whose case was brought to the attention of the Thai police this week, Thai news site The Bangkok Post reported on Friday.


In Yang’s case, his relatives had posted about his disappearance on social media and sought help, according to the inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police Office Thatchai Pitaneelaboot.


The sequence of events was posted on Chinese microblogging platform Sina Weibo on Wednesday by a user, Mou, claiming to be Yang’s cousin.


According to Mou, Yang came across an audition notice on Dec 8 for a film production in Thailand. He had shared the casting call with his friends, but they did not sign up due to conflicting schedules.


Yang passed the audition and left Beijing for Bangkok on Dec 20 for the shoot. According to Mou, he was picked up from Suvarnabhumi Airport in a vehicle arranged by the alleged film crew before being taken to the Thai-Myanmar border.

A day later, Yang reportedly sent a distress message to his friends before losing contact. The next time he made contact was on Dec 29, when Yang made a video call to his mother to report that “he was safe”.


But during the call, his mother noticed that there were "obvious scars on the corner of his eyes" and his condition was "not good", Mou said. Yang's friends have since contacted the Chinese police, as well as the Chinese embassies in Thailand and Myanmar.


"We saw that Wang's case was extremely similar to (my cousin's), so I have no choice but to ask for help from the internet, and also to contact Wang's family members to help rescue my cousin,” Mou wrote on Weibo.

In Wu’s case, the 21-year-old university graduate lost contact with her family shortly after arriving in Thailand on Jan 6, reported Thai news outlet Khaosod English.


According to Wu’s father, it was her first trip abroad, and she was travelling with a Chinese friend she had known for less than a month through social media.


Wu landed in Thailand at about 4am and contacted her mother via WeChat, sharing her location and plans to stay in the Don Mueang area, according to the Khaosod report.


Her mother had warned the student about travelling to Myanmar, but Wu had reassured her that she “wouldn’t dare to go to Myanmar”. Contact with Wu was lost at about 4pm.


Investigations revealed that a car had picked Wu up at Suvarnabhumi Airport and took her to a hotel in the Lat Krabang area. Hotel records show that Wu checked in at 5am and checked out four hours later, Khaosod reported.

Wu’s father personally flew to Bangkok to request assistance from the Royal Thai Police on Wednesday, according to Khaosod.


LURED BY THE PRETEXT OF OPPORTUNITY


The latest developments have once again directed the spotlight on scam centres in the region - particularly Chinese nationals being lured to Southeast Asian countries on the pretext of high-paying jobs, only to be forced into slave-like working conditions in cyber scam centres run by criminal organisations.


In Wang’s case, the actor told police he was lured by a promise of a job casting by a major Thai entertainment company. Instead, he was taken across the border into Myanmar, where police believe he was put to work in a call scam operation targeting Chinese people.


Speaking to the Thai police and local media on Tuesday, Wang recounted that there were about 50 people in one of the buildings he was held in.


Like him, all had their heads shaved, he told police. There was also an even bigger building, with more people from different countries held inside, according to Wang.

Wang has since been rescued and is expected to arrive back in China on Friday. But his ordeal has prompted similar calls for help from fellow Chinese who believe their loved ones are trapped in Myanmar and are potentially victims of human trafficking.


Chinese state news agency ECNS reported that on the same day Wang was rescued, a group chat of 487 people began compiling information on their missing relatives.


The online document is titled “United appeal for 174 ‘xing xing’ trapped in Myanmar”, a reference to Wang’s stage name Xing Xing.


The document indicates that most of the missing persons are aged between 17 and 35, with men being the majority, reported the state-run Global Times. According to the document, they have been missing for a few months to three years.


CONCERNS AMONG CHINESE TOURISTS


Wang’s case has also sparked fears among Chinese tourists who were planning to visit Southeast Asian nations, including Thailand.


Discussions on the safety of travelling to Thailand have kicked off on Chinese social media, with many users dissuading others not to head there. Questions such as “Is travelling to Thailand safe?” have garnered 143,000 posts on popular social media platform Xiaohongshu.

One post, with more than 35,200 likes, warned Chinese tourists not to visit Thailand in the “short term” and alleged that any jobs that do not require a working visa are all scams.


“I’m a bit scared, I’ll be travelling to Thailand in a few days, hope that I’ll be fine,” one user, Dora, wrote.


“Can’t you not go? Your life is more important than having fun,” another user replied.


The Tourism Authority of Thailand has targeted welcoming a total of 9 million visitors from China in 2025, achieving at least 90 per cent of pre-COVID numbers, local news site The Nation reported. Chinese arrivals reached a record high of 11 million in 2019.


The authority has said it is working to restore confidence among Chinese tourists. Its governor, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, acknowledged the incident’s impact on Chinese netizens but stated it had not yet affected Thai tourism, The Nation reported.

Even Wang himself doesn’t appear to be letting his ordeal sour his impression of Thailand. Speaking to local media in Mandarin on Wednesday after arriving in Bangkok, he thanked Thai authorities while also expressing confidence in the country’s safety.


“Thailand is pretty safe, everyone please do not be worried. If there is a chance in the future, I would want to return to Thailand,” Wang said.

Wang Xing: Thai police investigating two more missing Chinese nationals amid human trafficking concerns - CNA

Chinese cancel Thai holidays as actor Wang Xing’s kidnapping fuels safety fears

Many Chinese travellers planning to visit Thailand for the upcoming Lunar New Year have expressed concerns on social media this week and posed blunt questions.


"Is Chiang Mai safe? How can I convince the travel agency to refund expenses if I want to cancel my trip to Thailand?" netizens have asked bluntly.


The anxiety has been fuelled by a recent incident involving Chinese actor Wang Xing, who went missing upon arriving in Thailand for work last Friday.


Wang, a relatively unknown actor in China until his disappearance went viral, was reported missing after travelling to the popular tourist destination for a shoot.




Thai authorities took swift action amid high public scrutiny, rescuing Wang from a fraudulent online scam operation in a Myanmar city bordering Thailand on Tuesday. Deemed a victim of human trafficking, Wang appeared disoriented and had been shaved bald, according to images released by authorities. According to officials, Wang was a victim of human trafficking.


But the incident soon dampened Chinese tourists’ enthusiasm for travelling to the South-East Asian destination as the annual Lunar New Year travel rush approaches.


But the actor himself thanked the Thai government and police force after the ordeal and also added Thailand is a great place to visit.

Wang also has pledged to cooperate fully with Thai authorities in their ongoing investigation.


During media interviews, he conveyed his gratitude for the support he received, stating, “I am grateful to be safe and able to return to my country. Thailand is very safe, and I would love to come back.”


Wang, however, dismissed rumours suggesting he was physically harmed, clarifying that the red patches seen on his left leg in a viral photo were merely a birthmark.


The 'Under The Skin 2' star added amid the ongoing investigation and reiterated that this experience won't alter his positive view of Thailand.


“Thank you to the Thai government and Prime Minister for helping me to return to Thailand so that I have the chance to return home to my country. I really appreciate it. Thailand is a wonderful and I will visit again and again," he added again.


Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has sought to address such concerns, directing her country’s tourism as well as security agencies to try and contain the fallout.


“We must manage this situation effectively to prevent any impact on our tourism industry,” Shinawatra was quoted as saying by KhaoSod.


Shinawatra said the reaction was not solely about tourism, however, adding that it highlights broader concerns about technological security and transnational scam operations, including call centre fraud.”


In response to a question about the missing of Wang Xing at the Thailand-Myanmar border, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on Tuesday that the relevant Chinese embassies and consulates have received assistance requests from the actor's family.


"The authorities are verifying the situation and taking action. We will continue to follow further developments and work with embassies and consulates", said Guo.


However, on Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, or "Little Red Book", searching "How do I cancel my Thailand trip?" yielded more than 380,000 posts on Thursday.


Shawna Li, a Chinese woman from Zhejiang province, had planned to travel to Thailand with three female friends for the Spring Festival holiday from Jan 28 to Feb 4, but after learning of Wang's case, they unanimously agreed to cancel their trip.


"We changed our mind because of basic safety concerns, especially since we are four women travelling together," she said. "I've never been to Thailand, which people say is affordable and fun. I used to think it might be a bit unsafe, but not to this extent."


A manager at a physical store in Shanghai of China's leading online travel agent, Ctrip, noted that Wang's experience has sparked a decrease in bookings to Thailand.


So far, the location has only one group tour to Thailand that is set to depart before the end of the month, with just a dozen participants. "In the short term, this will certainly affect travel confidence," she said.


Wang, who had been lured by a Chinese stranger who claimed to represent a well-known Thai entertainment company and offered him work, was transported to the Myanmar border and subsequently crossed into Myanmar's Myawaddy, a city known as a hub for scam outfits, through an unofficial border point, police said.


Before his rescue, Wang, who was expected to return to China on Friday, reportedly received two days of training in telecommunication scams targeting other Chinese victims.


The quick action from Thai police followed calls by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, to crack down on such crimes and contain potential damage to Thailand's tourism sector after news about Wang's disappearance became widespread.


Speaking with the press following Wang's rescue on Tuesday, a Thai official was caught on camera asking the actor to express willingness to travel to Thailand again.


Wang, wearing a black cap to conceal his face, complied, stating in both English and Chinese: "Thailand is safe, and I will come back again."


Visits by Chinese tourists in Thailand might fall by 10 to 20% during the upcoming holiday season due to safety concerns among travellers following the case, the Bangkok Post reported on Thursday, quoting an estimation from the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta).


With 6.73 million arrivals, Chinese comprised Thailand's largest tourism market last year, according to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports.


In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese citizens have been reportedly lured to telecom-fraud syndicates operating in northern Myanmar to participate in their fraudulent schemes against residents in China.


Chinese authorities said in 2023 that as many as 100,000 people in Myawaddy alone were believed to be engaged in telecom fraud, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

Chinese cancel Thai holidays as actor Wang Xing’s kidnapping fuels safety fears | The Star

So fewer Chinese tourists.
While abuse in these calls centres is tragic it is hard to legislate here for the rash and foolish.

PM Addresses Misinformation Affecting Chinese Tourism

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has addressed concerns about reports of safety fears among Chinese tourists, which have reportedly led to tour cancellations and affected Thailand’s tourism sector. She attributed these fears to misinformation circulating within Chinese communities over the past two to three years, describing the claims as baseless and damaging to Thailand’s reputation.


The prime minister has tasked the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society with monitoring and countering false content that undermines Thailand’s image. The ministry is now working to ensure the dissemination of accurate information to international audiences and to curb the spread of harmful misinformation.


Paetongtarn referred to a recent incident involving a Chinese actor who received government assistance during a personal emergency in Thailand. The actor publicly expressed gratitude for the country's support, which ensured his safety and facilitated his return home.


The prime minister also urged the public to collaborate in dispelling these misconceptions, encouraging those with connections to Chinese communities to communicate the reality of Thailand’s safety and hospitality. This grassroots effort, she noted, would complement the government’s actions in rebuilding trust among international tourists.

NBT CONNEXT - PM Addresses Misinformation Affecting Chinese Tourism

She attributed these fears to misinformation circulating within Chinese communities over the past two to three years, describing the claims as baseless and damaging to Thailand’s reputation.

So she's churning out misinformation claiming there is misinformation.

When there are actual victims describing how they get sucked in.

Common knowledge you have one Chinese "Take Away" and half an hour later you want another,

Zaijian over tourism.