Chinese actor Wang Xing, who went missing last week near the Thai-Myanmar border, has been safely returned to Thailand and may have been the victim of human trafficking, Thai authorities said on Tuesday.

Mr Wang, 31, was reported missing in Tak province bordering Myawaddy in Myanmar, an area known for large-scale criminal enterprises and human trafficking by organised gangs.

“From our initial inquiry, we believe he was a victim of human trafficking,” police said.

The Chinese actor crossed into Thailand at the immigration checkpoint in Mae Sot district at about 3pm on Tuesday.

The actor had come to Thailand after being told that casting was taking place for a film, but instead was brought across the border and trained to scam other Chinese people, police said, adding he was not assaulted or abused.

He quoted Mr Wang as saying that a Chinese compatriot had lured him via the WeChat application by telling him that he represented a well-known Thai entertainment company and had work for him.

The Chinese suspect reportedly sent a car to pick up Mr Wang at Suvarnabhumi airport on Jan 3 and bring him to the border town of Mae Sot in Tak. Then another person led him into Myanmar on a boat across the Moei River, bypassing immigration checkpoints.

By that time, Mr Wang realised he had been tricked.

Police are expecting to question the actor in more detail to learn about his experiences in Myanmar and the people who had brought him there.