Thailand’s tourism minister has responded to a Chinese Embassy travel warning about kidnappings and human trafficking, insisting that genuine holidaymakers should be safe in Thailand while promising closer cooperation with Chinese officials.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul addressed the warning at Government House in Bangkok today, October 20, following concerns raised by the Chinese Embassy over citizens allegedly being abducted or deceived into travelling towards the Thai-Myanmar border.
Surasak acknowledged that some Chinese nationals had been targeted by criminal networks but suggested that victims may have been deceived through arrangements made before leaving China.
He argued that tourists visiting Thailand for ordinary holidays should not face such incidents, pointing to security checkpoints along routes towards neighbouring countries.
The minister also acknowledged that previous abduction cases had occurred, although he said Thai officers had managed to rescue victims.
His comments follow an October 16 warning from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, which highlighted reports of Chinese citizens going missing, being illegally detained or being deceived into travelling towards the Myanmar border.
The embassy warned that criminal groups were using offers of well-paid jobs, business opportunities and entertainment projects to lure victims into dangerous situations.
It advised travellers to verify job offers, use legitimate transport services, avoid unexpected changes to travel arrangements and exercise particular caution around border areas.
Surasak said Thailand would not allow criminal networks to use the country as a transit route for cross-border activities. He pledged closer coordination between the Royal Thai Police, Tourist Police, Immigration Bureau and other government agencies.
He also said Thailand would contact Chinese officials to establish whether further concerns needed to be addressed, recognising the importance of Chinese visitors to the country’s tourism industry.
The minister acknowledged that the warning could damage Thailand’s tourism image and that closer information-sharing between the two countries was necessary to restore confidence.
However, he questioned why similar incidents appeared to affect Chinese travellers more frequently than other nationalities, suggesting that some victims had been recruited or deceived before arriving in Thailand.
Those comments represent the minister’s assessment. The precise circumstances of individual abduction and trafficking cases remain matters for investigators.
In related news:
- Chinese woman stages her own kidnapping to extort money from father
- Chinese teacher missing in Bangkok returns home safely
- 2 Thai men arrested for assaulting and abducting Chinese woman
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