Thailand tried to calm fears among potential Chinese tourists Friday, as fears grew over reports of kidnappings along the Thai-Myanmar frontier. Scam compounds have sprung up in Myanmar’s borderlands, and are staffed with foreigners who are forced to work and often trafficked. They swindle their compatriots and analysts estimate that the industry is worth billions.
Concerns were raised following reports that Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was allegedly trafficked in to a cyber fraud centre in Myanmar’s Myawaddy Town, just across Thailand’s border in January, had been allegedly trafficked. Thai media reported that Myanmar authorities handed him to Thai police a few days later.
A model, Yang Zeqi went missing last month, and was found in Thailand this week. This sparked fears on Chinese social networks, with netizens claiming Thailand was “dangerous”.
Pittayakorn Petcharat is a senior Thai officer who told AFP that he had heard reports that Yang “returned from Myanmar to China” on Thursday. However, he did not give any other details.
The Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Friday that the government will enhance safety standards in order to combat transnational crimes citing reports about illegal organ trafficking and call centre scams as well as zero-dollar tours.
“Although such incidents were caused by Thais, they have raised concerns about safety among Chinese tourists,” said she in a post she made on X. She also welcomed all Chinese tourists who wanted to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Thailand.
Bryony La, deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch called the scam centres that have spread from Cambodia to Laos as well as the border areas with Myanmar on Friday “one the most pressing crises in the region”.
In a statement released on Friday, the Thai government promised to boost public confidence by strengthening safety procedures. It said that “every sector will increase its security and services in order to facilitate tourism” (in Thailand).
Thai media reports that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is recruiting Chinese influencers in order to improve Thailand’s image among Chinese social media users and potential visitors. China remained Thailand’s top tourist destination in the first 2 weeks of January. It accounted for almost a 6th of the total 1.3 million arrivals.
The Thai government expects an increase of seven percent in Chinese tourists over the next Lunar New Year holiday, which will add 8.8 billion Baht (USD 255 million) to Thailand’s revenue.
