Three Chinese Women Rescued From Alleged Kidnapping Linked to Scam Operation in Thailand
Three Chinese Women Rescued From Alleged Kidnapping Linked to Scam Operation in Thailand
CHON BURI, Sept. 23, 2026 — Thai authorities have rescued three Chinese women from a house in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, after one of the women allegedly sent a secret WeChat message to a relative seeking urgent help.
More than 20 officers from immigration police, Bang Lamung police, Tourist Police and local authorities raided the two-storey property in Takhian Tia at about 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 23, according to Thai police and local media reports.
Police detained four Chinese men at the property. Initial checks reportedly found that none had passports and that they had allegedly entered Thailand illegally through natural border crossings.
The operation began after Pol Col Naphatphong Khositsuriyamanee, superintendent of Chon Buri Immigration, was contacted by a relative of one of the women at around 11 p.m. on Sept. 22.
According to police, the woman sent a message through WeChat saying she was being detained and warning the recipient not to respond to messages sent to her phone because she believed the device was being monitored.
She reportedly said there were several men and three women at the property, provided its location and urged her relative to contact police and ask officers to arrive in large numbers.
Officers surrounded the house and entered the property, detaining one Chinese man on the ground floor and finding two Chinese women in an adjoining room. Three additional Chinese men were detained upstairs, where officers found a third woman in a separate bedroom. Police said she appeared frightened and had visible injuries.
The women were identified as Chinese nationals aged 36, 32 and 23.
According to investigators, the women said they had been recruited for entertainment work but were allegedly detained after arriving at the property. They further alleged that they had been sexually assaulted and that ransom demands were made to their relatives. These allegations remain under investigation.
Police reportedly found a long chain allegedly used to prevent victims from escaping, along with boxes of condoms and equipment believed to be associated with methamphetamine use. Investigators also found a used device reportedly linked to ketamine.
Police are examining digital evidence recovered from one suspect’s phone, including images allegedly showing sexual abuse of Chinese women and material connected with ketamine.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the allegations of unlawful detention, sexual assault and ransom demands and are seeking to determine whether other people were involved.
The case comes amid continuing Thai and regional efforts to combat trafficking, fraudulent recruitment and other forms of transnational organised crime involving foreign nationals in Southeast Asia.
