SINGAPORE: A Chinese actor who was reported missing near a Thai border town has been found safe in Myanmar and is now with Thai authorities as investigations take place, Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Tuesday (Jan 7).
Wang Xing, also known by his stage name Xing Xing, has appeared in several Chinese TV dramas and held supporting roles in movies like Ip Man 3.
The 31-year-old actor flew to Bangkok on Jan 3 after landing a role on a Thai filming project, according to a social media post shared by his girlfriend Jiajia on Sunday, which went viral.
Upon his arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport around 4am, Wang was received by a person claiming to be a film crew member, Jia said.
He was then driven to the Thai border city of Mae Sot, located around 500km away, and later lost contact with Jia at around 12pm.
His disappearance kicked off heated debate about Chinese nationals being lured to Southeast Asian countries on the pretext of high-paying jobs, only to be forced into slave-like working conditions in cyber scam centres run by criminal organisations.
Thai tourism minister Sorawong Thientong said Wang had been located in Myanmar on Monday and was returned to Thailand on Tuesday.
Earlier reports speculated that Wang had entered the town of Myawaddy, which sees intense fighting between rebel forces and the ruling junta and is often used as a transiting point for cyber scam compounds.
“It is good that he was found,” Sorawong said in comments carried by Thai media outlets. “The Thai government and tourism ministry are duty-bound to build confidence among tourists,” he added.
Vowing to revive its economy post-pandemic, Thailand has been courting back Chinese tourists but efforts have been complicated by perceived safety concerns.
Speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting, Paetongtarn said that the Thai government was handling the issue carefully to prevent any negative impact on tourism.
Without providing further details, Thatchai Peetaneelabut, inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police, said he had ordered a thorough investigation into the incident because it appeared to be the work of human traffickers.
Wang’s disappearance went viral on Chinese social media after his girlfriend’s original Weibo post garnered more than 586,000 likes and 357,000 reposts – and attracted the attention of several well-known Chinese actors.
Chinese actor Gong Jun, rapper Lay Zhang and actress Qin Lan reshared Jia’s post to their official Weibo pages and shared well wishes for Wang’s safety.
Social media users also followed suit, leaving well wishes under Jia’s Weibo posts, praising her “quick thinking” and bravery while hoping for Wang’s safe return.
“Wishing for Xing Xing’s safe return,” actor Ye Zimao wrote. “Also praying that our fellow countrymen who were lured to Thailand and Myanmar would also be as lucky.”
In her latest post on Tuesday following Wang’s discovery, Jia shared that she had flown to Bangkok on Monday and was currently in contact with Thai authorities to expedite Wang’s rescue.
“I would also like to ask for everyone to protect the privacy of those involved and hold back on spreading any photos of (Wang),” she wrote. “We hope to see (him) soon!”
She also thanked the celebrities and bloggers who helped make Wang’s disappearance known.
“The amount of attention this incident garnered also showed that there are many fraud methods (out there), it is no longer limited to common scams such as high-paying jobs, everyone please be vigilant,” she wrote in an earlier Weibo post.