The Chinese embassy in Thailand has issued a new travel warning, urging Chinese citizens to plan trips carefully after a series of kidnappings involving Chinese visitors, the South China Morning Post reported on October 18, 2026.
The notice singles out online influencers, artists and actors, who are advised to be especially wary of scammers using high-paying job offers in Thailand as bait.
The embassy also advised travellers to:
- Be cautious about using vehicles arranged by other people
- Choose licensed transport and service providers
- Avoid getting into cars with acquaintances or strangers
- Refuse sudden changes of location or route
- Keep their families informed of their whereabouts at all times
According to the report, transnational criminal networks have built scam operations worth billions of dollars along the Thailand-Myanmar border. They lure victims with fake job profiles and then use them for forced labour, human trafficking and online fraud.
Artists and streamers are often targeted with fake invitations to castings or film shoots. In 2025, Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to Thailand with a film offer, then taken to a scam compound in Myanmar and sold three times in four days. He was freed only after the Chinese embassy stepped in.
The embassy also pointed to several recent cases:
- In early October 2026, a 34 year old Chinese photographer disappeared after travelling to Bangkok for a shoot, and his family was later asked for a ransom.
- In late September 2026, a Shanghai teacher of Manora or music disappeared in Thailand.
- In August 2026, a Chinese tourist was abducted after getting into the wrong car, believing it belonged to a tour guide.
All of the victims in these cases were reportedly rescued and returned to China safely.
The report said the incidents have spread quickly across Chinese social media and have badly damaged Thailand’s image as a tourist destination.
In similar news:
- 2 Thai men arrested for assaulting and abducting Chinese woman
- Chinese nationals kidnap and rob woman in Bangkok before fleeing Thailand
- 3 police arrested for kidnapping Chinese man and Thai woman
- Chinese woman stages her own kidnapping to extort money from father
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