Chinese actor Wang Xing, suspected to have been lured into Myanmar scam centre, found

BANGKOK – A Chinese actor who went missing near Thailand’s border with Myanmar has been found, the Thai authorities said, as they sought to contain the fallout of the incident on the nation’s vital tourism industry. 

Wang Xing, 31, also known by his screen name Xingxing, was found by the Myanmar authorities on Jan 6 and was handed over to the Thai authorities on Jan 7.

He disappeared on Jan 4 from Mae Sot, a Thai town bordering Myanmar, after arriving in the country for what he believed to be a television shoot, according to Chinese media.

Reports of his disappearance sparked widespread discussion on Chinese social media platforms, with some users speculating he may have been kidnapped to work in a scam centre in Myanmar.

Wang’s girlfriend, known only as Jiajia, claimed in a post that the actor had boarded a vehicle from Bangkok before losing contact in the border town. She said he had flown to Thailand for an acting opportunity.

Thai police are investigating if Wang was a victim of human trafficking. The initial probe showed he had travelled voluntarily to the Thai-Myanmar border, officials said at a briefing.

Clips of Wang speaking to Thai officials after his rescue and recounting his ordeal have been circulating and going viral on the Chinese internet.

In one video of him in an airplane, he alleged that some armed men pushed him into a car after he was taken across the border into Myanmar.

He was then housed in a building where there were some 50 other people, and was not allowed to leave. He added there was another “huge” building, with people from many different countries.

His head was also shaved, as “everyone needed to cut their hair”.

There was no involvement of any Thai nationals, and Wang was probably a victim of a scam by Chinese nationals, Police General Tatchai Pitaneelaboot said.

According to Thai news outlet Bangkok Post, the police said the actor was being trained to scam other Chinese nationals, but had not been assaulted.

Wang and his girlfriend have since been reunited in Thailand. On Jan 8, she posted on Weibo a photo of their joined hands, writing: “Love can fight everything.”

Thai officials are wary of the impact of the episode on Chinese travellers, who make up the largest group of visitors to the tourism-reliant nation.

Chinese tourist arrivals have yet to return to pre-Covid-19 levels, though other markets have beaten the 2019 levels.

The impact on tourism, if any, will not last long, Thailand’s Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong said, adding that the Thai government will work to rebuild confidence among tourists.

He has sought the Chinese ambassador’s help to dispel the perception that Thailand is unsafe for Chinese tourists.

 Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said: “We will handle this issue with care to minimise the impact on tourism. There are many rumours that have been blown up on social media about Thailand being unsafe.” 

After he was rescued, Wang thanked the Thai authorities for escorting him to safety in an on-camera interview with Thai media and said he believes Thailand is “quite safe”.

“If there’s a chance in the future, I will come back to Thailand.”

A 2023 Chinese blockbuster 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 South-east Asia.  

Thai police will investigate whether Wang had arrived in Thailand for work or had been deceived from the beginning, Mr Sorawong said.   

Across South-east Asia, billion-dollar cyberscam operations have been expanding, particularly in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, according to a recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Many working in scam operations in the region are also victims of human trafficking. 

With Myanmar gripped by a civil war after a 2021 coup, cybercrime syndicates have been flourishing.

Often run by Chinese fugitives who fled their home nation in 2020 following a domestic crackdown, they have taken cover in areas of Myanmar where the military regime is losing control over territories to rebels. 

Earlier this week, state broadcaster China Central Television reported that Myanmar transferred 41,000 suspects involved in telecommunication scams to China in 2024, as Beijing continues to crack down on an illegal industry that has siphoned billions of dollars from unsuspecting victims. BLOOMBERG