Wang Shin was going to a casting meeting with a Thai film producer.
According to Thai police, the 22-year-old Chinese actor, also known by his stage name Sing Sing, was communicating on WeChat with people believed to be Chinese employees of a major Thai entertainment company. One of them met him at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, guided him through the security checkpoint and informed him that his plans to stay at a nearby hotel had changed. Instead, they drove 500km to Mae Sot in western Thailand.
It was then that he lost contact with Wang's girlfriend, Jia Jia.
Mae Sot is located on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, just across from the Burmese town of Myawaddy. Myawaddy is a notorious crime hub where people are held against their will and forced to commit wire and online fraud.
Such scams have increased rapidly across Southeast Asia in recent years, particularly in Myanmar. After the 2021 military coup, the country was plunged into chaos and spiraling conflict, making it a magnet for criminal organizations.
Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world, including Africa, South America and parts of Asia, are trafficked into the region, often lured with the promise of well-paying jobs. Rather, they find themselves trapped and driven to crime. If they refuse to commit fraud or fail to achieve their goals, they are often subjected to torture. The only way to walk away is usually to pay a ransom you can't afford. Many of these compounds are based in border areas such as Myawaddy.
One of China's anti-fraud agencies said it was warning the public of the dangers of Myawaddy. The city is “horrible”.
The targeting of people in the entertainment industry, including Mr. Wang, has brought this kind of criminal activity back into the spotlight.
Jiang Kuni, vice dean of the Faculty of Law and Politics, Yunnan University of Finance and Economics, said: told the Global Times The network appeared to be expanding to target celebrities and intellectuals for greater profit. The China Federation of Radio and Television Associations said “many” people had been deceived and “caused serious damage to their personal and financial security” and warned its members to be wary of fake job offers.
“The environment was extremely dangerous.”
Jia Jia first raised the alarm that Wang was missing in a social media post. According to the post, after being told that Wang was not in Bangkok, he shared his location with her and continued to message her on WeChat until he could no longer reach her near the border. Before traveling to Thailand herself, Jia Jia contacted the Shanghai police and the Chinese consulate in Thailand. Her post was shared by Chinese celebrities, and the associated hashtag saw more than 500 million engagements on Weibo.
Last Tuesday, it was announced that Mr. Wang had been found, more than a month after he was abducted. The photo showed the actor with a shaved head sitting with Thai law enforcement officials.
In a video released by Chinese media and filmed on his flight home, Wang said he had been to Thailand for work in 2018 and thought the invitation was just a normal photo shoot. He said he was sent across the border to Myanmar and forced into a car by armed men. He said he was taken to a building where at least 50 other people were being held, all of whom had their heads shaved and were forced to undergo training to commit fraud.
“The environment was very dangerous. I couldn't sleep and I didn't have enough time to pee,” he said in the video.
No arrests have been announced in connection with Wang's disappearance. Thai and Chinese officials are reportedly working together to coordinate searches for other missing nationals.
In recent years, large-scale crackdowns have taken place across Southeast Asia, with tens of thousands of members of international syndicates with ties to the underworld in Thailand, Myanmar, China, Cambodia, the Philippines and Taiwan being arrested.
However, kidnappings that supply the industry and its workforce continue.
Days before Wang returned home, other Chinese actors spoke about their own similar experiences on social media. Actor Xu Da-jiu said he was tricked into flying to Thailand after being offered a role in a drama being filmed there, but escaped before he could be taken away.
Last Thursday, reports surfaced that two other Chinese people, male model Yang Zeqi and 21-year-old woman Wu Jiaqi, had gone missing in similar circumstances. Yang flew to Bangkok on December 20th for a movie audition, but was still driven to the border. According to Chinese media, when last seen, Yang told her mother via video call that she was safe but had visible injuries. Mr. Wu's whereabouts and safety are unknown. Thai police are investigating both incidents.
“Thailand has to wake up and do something.”
For Thailand, Mr. Wang's case brought unwanted publicity. Amid extensive media coverage, nearly 500,000 questions have been posted on social media app Xiaohongshu in the past week asking, “How do I cancel my Thailand vacation?” . This week: Hong Kong pop stars Eason Chan cancels Thailand performance It has been scheduled for February, citing concerns for the safety of Thai staff and fans following Wang's ordeal.
An editorial in China's state-run newspaper China Daily said the crime “could undermine the confidence of Chinese tourists in neighboring countries.”
Thai authorities are now scrambling to reassure their biggest tourism market. Wang's disappearance occurred just before Lunar New Year, the peak of the holiday season when Thailand is expected to receive as many as 30,000 arrivals a day from China.
Pataraanon Na Chiang Mai, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told the Bangkok Post that five offices in China are monitoring reactions to the incident following news reports and sentiment on social media.
Chinese tourists' concerns about traveling to Thailand are not new. In 2023, the Chinese thriller film “No More Bets” became a huge hit at the box office. The film tells the story of two Chinese people who are trafficked and forced into labor in fraudulent facilities in Southeast Asia.
Thailand is trying to shake off this negative reputation.
Shortly after returning to Thailand, Wang appeared on Thai television with police. He thanked the Thai authorities for giving him “the opportunity to return to his homeland.” On camera, the officer then asked reporters to tell reporters in Chinese that Thailand was safe and would return.
Actors and models are high-profile victims, among hundreds of thousands of people trafficked in the region, many of whom remain missing.
Estimates of the number of Myawaddy compounds vary. Runsiman Roma, deputy leader of Thailand's opposition People's Party and chairman of the House of Commons National Security Committee, told the Guardian he had been informed that there were currently 40 fraudulent facilities in the town. “We are talking about a fraudulent state, an industrial state. [scale] It’s a scam,” he said. “This is a threat to Thailand and the international community.”
“Thailand has to wake up and do something. We don't want Thailand to become a pawn of fraud,” he said, adding that Thailand's image as a safe and welcoming tourist destination was also at risk. He added that
“It will destroy our tourism industry. Without tourism, Thailand would be in a very serious economic crisis.”
It is not clear how Wang's release was secured. Factories often enjoy protection from corrupt local officials and armed groups. The Guardian has previously reported that some hostages could escape if they or their families put pressure on local authorities or reward gangs who would rather release someone than draw too much attention to the operation. It is suggested that there are some people.
For the families of those still missing, Mr. Wang's return shows that authorities can do more to help victims. Chinese social media users collectively appealed for help to the families of 174 people believed to be missing in Myanmar. gained widespread attention onlineFormer politician supports victims' families in Hong Kong requested the government To find out how they got Wan home.
Back in China, Wang and Jia Jia expressed their gratitude to those who helped spread the word about their plight, as well as local authorities and consulate officials.
“I'm a normal person who is scared and worried,” Wang said. “But just when I was about to give up completely, you gave me hope, made me choose to believe a little more, keep trying a little harder, and you helped me get back on my feet.”
