Photo: Stephane Hurbe / Pexels
The Chinese embassy in Thailand has issued a new travel warning telling Chinese citizens to plan trips carefully after several kidnappings of Chinese visitors. Online influencers, artists, streamers and actors are most at risk. Scammers lure them with high-paying job offers, such as fake casting calls or film shoots. The embassy cites four cases from 2025 and 2026. All the 2026 victims were reportedly rescued and returned safely to China. The cases named are in Bangkok and the Myanmar border area, not on Koh Lanta.
What the embassy is saying
The embassy wants Chinese travellers to plan trips carefully. The warning follows several kidnappings of Chinese visitors and was reported by The Thaiger on 18 October 2026, citing a South China Morning Post report of the same date.
Who is most at risk
The people most at risk are online influencers, artists, streamers and actors. Scammers lure them to Thailand with well-paid work, such as fake casting calls or film shoots.
The background
According to the report, transnational criminal networks run scam operations worth billions of dollars along the Thailand-Myanmar border. They use fake job profiles to lure victims into forced labour, human trafficking and online fraud.
Cases cited by the embassy
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Chinese actor Wang Xing was lured to Thailand with a film offer. He was taken to a scam compound in Myanmar and sold three times in four days. He was freed only after the Chinese embassy intervened. |
| August 2026 | A Chinese tourist was abducted after getting into the wrong car, believing it belonged to a tour guide. |
| Late September 2026 | A teacher from Shanghai disappeared in Thailand. |
| Early October 2026 | A 34-year-old Chinese photographer disappeared after travelling to Bangkok for a shoot. His family was later asked for a ransom. |
All victims in the 2026 cases were reportedly rescued and returned safely to China.
The embassy's advice
- Be cautious about vehicles arranged by other people.
- Use licensed transport and service providers.
- Don't get into cars with acquaintances or strangers.
- Refuse sudden changes of location or route.
- Keep family informed of your whereabouts at all times.
What this means for visitors
Chinese visitors are the main target, but the advice is sensible for anyone. Use licensed taxis or ride-hailing, check that the car and driver match your booking, and don't accept rides from strangers. Be sceptical of high-paying work or shoots in Thailand offered by people you don't know. Share your location with family.
Impact on tourism
The incidents spread quickly on Chinese social media and have badly damaged Thailand's image as a tourist destination. This may reduce Chinese arrivals. It is not specific to Koh Lanta, and the cases named are in Bangkok and the Myanmar border area. Hotels may still see guests asking about safe transport.
Related reports
The Thaiger has run several other stories on the topic. The headlines are:
- 2 Thai men arrested for assaulting and abducting a Chinese woman.
- Chinese nationals kidnap and rob a woman in Bangkok, then flee Thailand.
- 3 police arrested for kidnapping a Chinese man and a Thai woman.
- A Chinese woman staged her own kidnapping to extort money from her father.
Information sourced from The Thaiger.