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,” Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, an inspector-general with the Royal Thai Police, told reporters.
Pol Gen Thatchai, Tak governor Chucheep Pongchai and senior officials greeted the Chinese actor 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, Pol Gen Thatchai 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 deceived but he did not dare to resist, police quoted him as saying.
According to immigration police in Tak, Mr Wang had come to Thailand for an audition. He flew from Shanghai, arriving at Suvarnabhumi airport in Samut Prakan at 3.16am on Friday.
At 3.40am he left the airport in a silver Toyota Altis car registered in Bangkok to TKY Leasing Co. The car reached the Mae Sot-Tak Road in Mae Sot district of Tak at 10.09am on Friday.
At a Makro store in Mae Sot, the actor was transferred to a silver Toyota Hilux Revo pickup registered in Chachoengsao. The driver, identified only as Wichai, reportedly told police that a Karen soldier had ordered him to pick up the actor at the store.
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, said Pol Gen Thatchai.
Tourism impact
At Government House on Tuesday, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra welcomed the news of the actor’s safe return. She said the government was handling the issue carefully to prevent any negative impact on tourism.
The case was widely shared on Chinese social media raising concerns that it could dent Thailand’s hospitality and tourism industry, for which China is the main source market.
“We have to manage this well so it does not impact Thai tourism,” Ms Paetongtarn said, adding that the actor’s disappearance had been blown out of proportion on social media to portray Thailand as a dangerous place to visit.
The government was working closely with the Chinese embassy to create understanding in the matter, the prime minister added.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said he hoped any effect on tourism would be short-lived.
“It is good that he has been found,” he said of Mr Wang. “The government and the tourism ministry are duty-bound to build confidence among tourists. I strongly believe that people who have visited Thailand understand the situation in the country well.”
Last year, Thailand welcomed 35.5 million foreign arrivals, with 6.7 million from China.
China’s foreign ministry said it was in touch with its embassies overseas and would “continue to follow up on the progress of the incident”.
Across Southeast Asia, the billion-dollar cyber scam operations have been expanding, particularly in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, according to a recent report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Many working in the scam operations in the region are also themselves victims of human trafficking.
A 2023 blockbuster Chinese movie No More Bets depicted two Chinese characters being trapped in a scam centre after being lured on the pretext of high-paying jobs, sparking concerns among tourists about safety in Southeast Asia.
Earlier this week, the state broadcaster China Central Television reported that Myanmar had transferred 41,000 suspects involved in telecom scams to China last year, as Beijing continues to crack down on an illegal industry that has siphoned billions of dollars from unsuspecting victims.
Actor Wang Xing signals he is okay as he rides in a car with police officers returning him from Myanmar to Tak province in Thailand on Tuesday. (Police Photo)