SINGAPORE – Thai police have intensified their investigations into the troubling disappearances of two more Chinese nationals amid growing fears of human trafficking, echoing the concerning case of rescued Chinese actor Wang Xing.

Wang, who is also known as Xing Xing, vanished during a visit to Thailand and was ultimately found near the Myanmar border on January 7, 2024, in an area notorious for online scam networks. Thai authorities have confirmed that he became a victim of human trafficking.

The Latest Disappearances

The two latest cases involve a male model named Yang Zeqi and a young university graduate, Wu Jiaqi. Yang, who went missing in late December, and Wu, whose disappearance was reported just this week, both have circumstances intriguingly similar to Wang's plight.

Yang Zeqi's Case

In Yang's case, his family took to social media, desperately searching for him. A cousin, identified only as Mou, shared his story on the Chinese microblogging platform, Sina Weibo. Yang had responded to an audition notice and traveled to Thailand for a supposed film project. After arriving on December 20, Yang lost contact after sending a distress message, leaving his family worried when they noticed visible scars during a brief video call.

Wu Jiaqi's Case

Meanwhile, Wu's story is equally disconcerting. The 21-year-old arrived in Thailand on January 6, marking her first trip abroad, and was last heard from roughly 12 hours later. She had traveled with a social media acquaintance and assured her mother that she would not venture into Myanmar, although evidence suggests she was picked up at the airport and taken to a hotel shortly after landing.

The Dark Underbelly of Human Trafficking