Chinese celebrity rescued after disappearance following trip to Thailand, 2nd case in days

According to the Bangkok PostPol Gen Chatchai Pitaneelaboot, inspector-general of the Royal Thai Police Office, announced on Saturday that the Chinese embassy in Thailand confirmed 25-year-old Yang, who disappeared after traveling to Thailand for a supposed film role, has returned to China.

Yang’s father had earlier sought help from Thai authorities, urging them to expedite efforts to locate his son. Lawyer Ratchapon Sirisakorn, who assisted Yang’s father in working with Thai authorities, confirmed the model’s rescue and safe return to China. Yang’s family expressed gratitude to both the Chinese embassy and Thai officials, adding that they plan to send a formal letter of thanks.

The model was reportedly taken to the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province on Dec. 21 after arriving in Bangkok. His last contact with his family was a video call on Dec. 29, during which he appeared distressed and was not holding a phone, raising suspicions that the call had been staged by captors.

Upon his return to China, Yang shared a video on social media with the caption: “Reporting safety right after touchdown.”

Police have not revealed details of Yang’s rescue or confirmed whether he fell victim to scam gangs based in Myanmar, similar to the case of 31-year-old Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was rescued in Tak province earlier this month.

Wang, best known for his role in “Ip Man 3” and also by his stage name Xing Xing, arrived in Thailand on Jan. 3 after responding to a job advertisement, according to the South China Morning Post. He was transported to Mae Sot, a district in Tak province near the Thai-Myanmar border, by someone claiming to be a production crew member. Shortly after, Wang lost contact with his relatives and girlfriend.

After being rescued on Jan. 7, Wang recounted being forcibly taken across a river into Myanmar, where armed individuals transported him to a house holding at least 50 other Chinese nationals and foreigners, Xinjing Bao reported. He described how everyone there was forced to shave their heads and undergo scamming training through text messaging over three days. However, he had not yet begun training for phone scams.

Thai police have since confirmed that Wang was a victim of human trafficking, according to Hongxing News.