Recently, during the National Day holiday in mainland China, several individuals from mainland China went missing after traveling to Thailand, prompting their families to seek help publicly on the internet. One family, in particular, has faced extreme distress and devastation as both a younger brother and his brother-in-law went missing during their trip to Thailand, with their whereabouts still unknown.
On October 8th, a netizen posted a plea for help on a social media platform, stating that two Chinese men had gone missing in Thailand on October 6th and were suspected to have been transferred to Myanmar. The family of the missing individuals shared details in a public notice, identifying one of the missing men as Hu Xing, a 38-year-old IT engineer from Jiujiang, and the other as Song Huating, a 35-year-old from Wuxue.
According to a report by Jiemu News on October 10th, Mr. Song, a relative of the missing individuals, recounted the sequence of events. He explained that Song Huating is his younger brother and Hu Xing is his brother-in-law. During the National Day holiday, Mr. Song, Hu Xing, and Song Huating traveled together to Thailand, arriving in Bangkok on October 4th.
On the evening of October 5th, Mr. Song fell ill and decided to stay back at the hotel on October 6th to rest, while Hu Xing and Song Huating went out. Before leaving, Mr. Song did not inquire in detail about their plans but reminded the two to message him to ensure their safety.
Around 2 p.m. on October 6th, Mr. Song began receiving messages from Hu Xing updating him on their safety, including location sharing and images. Around 3 p.m., Hu Xing sent a series of photos to Mr. Song, documenting their journey in a car, including a change of vehicles.
In the last photo received, there was a pick-up truck with a backdrop of a wooded area. Mr. Song became alarmed when he could not reach Hu Xing by phone and received no replies to his messages, also being unable to contact Song Huating.
Based on the location shared by Hu Xing earlier, indicating Da Fu, Mr. Song reported to the Thai authorities in the late afternoon of October 6th. On the morning of October 7th, the Thai police informed Mr. Song that based on the location information and images released by the missing individuals, they were likely transferred to Myanmar.
On October 9th, Hu Xing’s sister received a WeChat call from him, where he reassured her, saying that he was fine and asked her to wait for him to come out. Mr. Song recounted that his sister had asked if Hu Xing was with him, to which Hu Xing replied affirmatively, but they did not directly converse. This further worried Mr. Song.
Mr. Song explained that their family consists of three siblings. Their father passed away in 2001, and their mother raised them alone. Their mother, now 59 years old, has been kept in the dark about the disappearance of her son and son-in-law to protect her from distress. However, after the plea for help online spread, the mother became aware of the situation. Adding more emotional weight to the situation, with the sister being one month pregnant and the pillar of the family suddenly missing, they had no choice but to seek help online, hoping for the safe return of their loved ones.
On the evening of October 9th, Mr. Song returned to China, preparing to rush back to their hometown.
The report stated that on October 10th, the matter was raised with the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar, and the staff stated that verification needed to be done through the family.
As of the evening of October 10th, there were no further updates on the two missing individuals.
Cases of mainland Chinese individuals going missing in Thailand during the National Day holiday are not isolated incidents.
Since October 6th, Ms. Han, from Wuxiang County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, has been publicly seeking help multiple times, as her brother, Han Shaojie, went missing after being invited to Thailand for filming work just one day after landing.
According to several Chinese media reports, 34-year-old Han Shaojie is a freelance photographer from Wuxiang County in Changzhi, Shanxi, who has been residing in Beijing for a long time.
In a video message, Ms. Han mentioned that after receiving the invitation, Han Shaojie’s itinerary included Bangkok and Chiang Mai, with plans to return to Lhasa after completing the shoot.
Early on the 5th, Han Shaojie shared his hotel location, had a video call with his family at noon, mentioning meeting with the project contacts. When messages sent to him on the evening of the 5th went unanswered, and his phone was found switched off on the morning of the 6th, concerns began to rise.
On October 7th, when Ms. Han reported the case at the Thai police station, they received a WeChat voice message from Han Shaojie, where he disclosed, “I took a black car, fell asleep after getting in, and when I woke up, I was robbed and sold. Don’t bother looking for me, you won’t find me, and I don’t know where I am.” At that time, it was clear that someone was coercing him beside him, and they dared not inquire further.
On the afternoon of October 8th, Ms. Han received a call from Han Shaojie stating that to be released, he needed to pay a ransom of 150,000 RMB, along with an unspecified amount for rescue and repatriation, warning the family not to involve the police, stating, “The more you stir, the more I suffer.”
Upon investigation by Bangkok police, it was discovered that there was a hotel booking record for Han Shaojie in Bangkok on the evening of the 5th, though he did not actually check-in.
Ms. Han expressed her extreme worry and anxiety as she stayed in Bangkok for several days, waiting in hope for any information on her missing brother.
The WeChat voice message from Han Shaojie mentioning “black car,” “robbery,” “being sold,” and “coercion” has raised concerns among the public about potential fraud and being trapped in a scam operation.
Scam operations in Southeast Asia involve issues like human trafficking and forced crimes. Despite joint efforts to combat telecom fraud after the incident involving Wang Xing being abducted to Myanmar’s Meowadi in 2025, reports from Myanmar media suggest that some parts of Meowadi have resumed operation, with new scam regions emerging. Anti-fraud bloggers have released videos claiming to have found a large number of discarded phones near the Jiaoke Village in Meowadi.
Recent cases of Chinese nationals going missing in Thailand have been occurring consecutively, including that of Wang Qi, a music teacher who only returned to Shanghai on October 7th after a trip to Thailand in September, where his phone’s IP address showed up in Kren Township in Myanmar during his disappearance, leaving room for speculation.