Hoodwinked Chinese actor crosses back to Thailand

A CHINESE actor who disappeared at Thai-Myanmar border along Mae Sot last Friday (Jan. 3) said after being brought back to Thailand by Karen soldiers that another Chinese man had tricked into accepting work and he only realized after crossing the border to Myanmar that he had been conned by dared not resist, Naewna newspaper and TV Channel 7 said this evening (Jan. 7).

Pol. Gen. Thatchai Pitaneelabut, head of the Centre for the Protection of Children, Women, Families, Human Trafficking Prevention and Suppression and Fisheries, said he personally questioned Xingxing who related that he had chatted with another Chinese man claiming to represent a major Thai entertainment company on WeChat app and was offered a role.

He believed him and flew to Suvarnabhumi Airport and then travelled by a car sent to pick him up to Mae Sot. There another vehicle took him to the border which he crossed by boat.

He added that he only realised he had been tricked when he reached Myawaddy but dared not resist.

Pol. Gen. Thatchai said an investigation of this case is being held to go through the details.

If Xingxing is found to be a victim of human trafficking he will enter a protection process and coordination made for his return to his home country. 

If it is found that he has been involved in any kind of wrongdoing, further action will have to be taken.

Xingxing’s family and his girlfriend Jiajia had contacted Thai authorities after he went missing at the border last Friday.

They said that Xingxing knew from the start what he was hired to do but he did not know which country he was to work in.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra too confirmed that Xingxing had been found while adding that this case must be handled properly so that it does not affect tourism as a lot of rumours are spreading on social media that Thailand is a scary country.

She has instructed the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to look into this matter.

Meanwhile Thai entertainment company GMM Grammy Plc, the largest media conglomerate entertainment company in Thailand, issued a statement on Sina Weibo social media platform that it had no knowledge nor was involved in the disappearance of the Chinese actor at Mae Sot.

The company emphasized that it has a transparent and professional process and procedures for selecting actors and urged artistes to not be tricked into accepting work from fraudsters.

CAPTION: 

Xingxing flying back to Bangkok, above, and being questioned after crossing back to Thailand, below and Front Page. Top photo: Naewna, other photos: Amarin TV

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