14-1-2025 (BANGKOK) Chinese families are making desperate journeys to Thailand as fears mount over relatives who have vanished after responding to what authorities believe were fraudulent employment schemes linked to human trafficking networks.
In a heart-wrenching development, elderly couple Sun Maoxing, 60, and his wife Wang Weiju have travelled from China’s Shandong province to Bangkok in search of their son. Their 32-year-old son, Sun Baochao, was last heard from in a WeChat message indicating he was in Thailand, before suspicious requests for money began arriving from his account.
The distraught parents took their plea public, staging an emotional appeal outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, joining a growing number of families seeking answers about missing loved ones.
Another worried relative, Wang Yaxin, 40, from Harbin, is frantically searching for his 28-year-old cousin who disappeared on New Year’s Day. The cousin had reportedly travelled to Thailand seeking a loan but vanished shortly afterwards, leading Wang to suspect involvement in a loan fraud scheme.
These cases underscore a troubling pattern of individuals being enticed to Thailand with promises of legitimate opportunities, only to fall prey to trafficking operations that often funnel victims into neighbouring Myanmar.
The Chinese embassy in Bangkok has stepped up its warning campaigns, urging nationals to exercise extreme caution regarding offers of lucrative employment or all-expenses-paid travel arrangements. Hong Kong authorities have also mobilised, dispatching investigators to Thailand following an alarming rise in residents falling victim to employment scams.
Whilst Thai and Chinese authorities are working in tandem to locate missing persons, officials acknowledge the substantial challenges posed by cross-border investigations.
