Missing Chinese actor Wang Xing has been found safe after travelling to Thailand for a film shoot, said Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday (Jan 7).
The 22-year-old, known by his stage name Xing Xing, had returned from Myanmar to Thailand and was meeting with representatives of Provincial Police Region Six.
According to the Bangkok Post, Wang arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport last Friday (Jan 3) before travelling to Tak's Mae Sot district, where all contact with him was lost.
Pol Gen Thatchai Peetaneelabut, Inspector General of the Royal Thai Police Office, disclosed that a chauffeur had driven Wang from the airport to the Mae Sot district in northwest Thailand.
The area borders Myanmar's Myawaddy, a city known as a hub for scam compounds, according to South China Morning Post.
In Mae Sot district, another individual guided the actor across a natural border crossing into Myanmar.
News of Wang’s disappearance surfaced on Jan 5 when his girlfriend, identified only as Jiajia, posted about his situation on Weibo.
She said Wang had been offered a role through a friend who claimed to work for one of Thailand’s largest media empires.
However, the Under The Skin 2 star began questioning the legitimacy of the location on Dec 30 and expressed his desire to withdraw from the production.
Despite his concerns, his friend insisted it was too late to find a replacement, and he forced himself to leave for the shoot on Jan 2.
Jiajia added that Wang had taken a ride the next day, supposedly arranged by the cast, to the shoot’s opening ceremony. However, tracking data indicated that the vehicle’s route deviated significantly and communication with him was later lost.
Reports indicated that there were no formal exit records at Thai immigration checkpoints.
Authorities believe the incident may be linked to the activities of a human trafficking gang.
