16-1-2025 (BANGKOK) A distraught father has appealed directly to Thailand’s highest-ranking police official in a bid to locate his son, a Chinese male model who vanished near the volatile Thai-Myanmar frontier more than a fortnight ago.
Yang Zeqi, whose disappearance has sparked widespread concern across Chinese social media platforms, was last heard from during a distressing video call to his mother on 29 December. Legal representative Ratchaphon Sirisakhon accompanied Yang’s father to present their urgent petition to Police General Kittharath Punpetch on Thursday.
The case bears striking similarities to the recent high-profile incident involving Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was rescued from a scam operation in Myanmar’s Myawaddy region. Wang’s ordeal, which ended with his return to Thailand sporting a shaved head, has already triggered tourism cancellations from China – a development that has alarmed Thai authorities.
During Yang’s final video call, his father noted troubling details: his son appeared visibly distressed, sporting what appeared to be facial injuries, and peculiarly, wasn’t holding the mobile device himself. “The circumstances strongly suggest someone was monitoring the conversation,” the father stated through his lawyer.
Inspector-General Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot acknowledged the case has garnered significant international media attention. Despite a formal complaint lodged with Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division on 10 January, investigators have yet to achieve a breakthrough.
Evidence gathered suggests Yang’s last known whereabouts were in Thailand’s Tak province, specifically within the Phop Phra or Mae Sot districts. The lawyer claims to possess photographic evidence of two vehicles involved in Yang’s transport, including one that collected him from Suvarnabhumi Airport.
“We have reason to believe this is a coordinated operation involving Thai, Chinese, and Myanmar nationals,” Sirisakhon stated, presenting vehicle registration details to support the investigation.
