Chinese actor believed to have been trafficked to Myanmar found safe

Chinese actor Wang Xing has been found safe in Myanmar today (Jan 7) after losing contact with his girlfriend on Jan 3 in Thailand, where he had travelled to believing it was for work.

His girlfriend, only known as Jia Jia, first appealed for help in a Weibo post on Jan 5, revealing that the 31-year-old had flown to Bangkok from Shanghai on the morning of Jan 3 after he received information supposedly from a Thai entertainment company that he had successfully auditioned for a film role.

Wang Xing, also known as Xing Xing, was known for his appearances in Chinese dramas including Psychologist (2021), Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red-Moon Pact (2024) and Under The Skin Season 2 (2024).

According to the text messages between Wang Xing and a coordinator in Thailand that Jia Jia shared, he was told a vehicle had been arranged to take him directly from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the film set for the lensing ceremony.

Jia Jia remained in contact with him for the next few hours.

According to her, Wang Xing reached Mae Sot, a city close to the borders of Myanmar, close to noon and was told he would be transferring to another vehicle that would bring him to the film set within five minutes.

Lost

At noon, Jia Jia received an SOS message — the contents of which she did not reveal — from him and he became uncontactable.

She and Wang Xing's brother then sought help from the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand and China's Consulate-General in Chiangmai.

They also travelled to Bangkok on Jan 6 and filed a report with the Thai police with help from the embassy.

Celebrities including Gong Jun, Shu Qi, Talu Wang, Qin Lan and Lay Zhang also shared Jia Jia's post, praying for Wang Xing's safe return.

In reports by Thai media today, Wang Xing was confirmed to have crossed the border from Thailand to Myawaddy, a town in Myanmar, and the authorities were actively searching for him.

According to a report by Bangkok Post, there was no evidence suggesting that he was forced to enter Myanmar and his trip appeared to be voluntary. However, the police did not yet know whether he left for Myanmar through an official border crossing.

Found

Thai news media Channel 7 later reported that Wang Xing had been found and was set to return to Thailand.

From a photo circulating on Weibo and reported by Myanmar's Yangon Khit Thit News Agency, his head had been shaved and there were also red patches seen on his left leg.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was said to be working closely with the government and the Chinese embassy to handle the issue carefully to prevent negative impact on tourism, based on a separate report by Bangkok Post today.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com