Days after disappearing in Thailand, Chinese actor found in Myanmar

Wang Xing, 22, was reported missing in Thailand’s northern Tak province, which borders Myanmar. The area is known for large-scale criminal enterprises and human trafficking operations run by organised gangs.

“From our initial inquiry, we believe he was a victim of human trafficking,” said Police Inspector General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot. He explained that Wang had been lured to Thailand under the pretext of a casting call but was instead trained to scam other Chinese nationals. Thatchai added that Wang had not been assaulted or abused.

Wang arrived in Bangkok early on Friday morning and was escorted through immigration control by an individual claiming to be a member of the production crew. He was then driven to Mae Sot, approximately 500km (310 miles) from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, where he lost contact around midday, according to a social media post by Wang’s girlfriend, identified by her surname Kang.

Wang has since been returned to Thailand. The case gained significant attention on Chinese social media, raising concerns over its potential impact on Thailand’s hospitality and tourism industry—a vital sector of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, with China as its largest market.

“We must handle this carefully to prevent any negative effects on Thai tourism,” said Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Last year, Thailand welcomed 35.55 million foreign visitors, including 6.74 million from China.

Southeast Asia—particularly border towns in Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos—has become a hotspot for telecom and online fraud, according to the United Nations. The UN reports that hundreds of thousands of individuals have been trafficked into scam centres.

Most trafficking victims are from Southeast Asian countries, as well as China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, but others have been brought from regions as far away as Africa and Latin America, the UN added.

(With inputs from Reuters)