Around 0:30 on 23/9, more than 20 officers from the Chon Buri provincial immigration police, local police, and Thai tourist police secretly approached a two-story house in Takhian Tia commune, Bang Lamung district, near the tourist city of Pattaya.

Authorities had previously received reports that three Chinese women were being illegally detained inside. One of the women secretly sent a distress message to her relatives via WeChat, including the location of the house where she was held. She warned her relatives not to respond, as her phone was in the hands of her captors, and asked them to contact Thai authorities.

Instead of dispatching a small patrol team to verify the information, Chon Buri provincial immigration police requested local forces to coordinate in surrounding the house to rescue the victims. A group of police officers scaled the wall, entered the house, and apprehended a suspect sitting on the first floor. Two women were found in an adjacent room.

Two of the three Chinese women rescued by Thai police in the early hours of 23/9. Photo: Thaiger

Police then went upstairs and arrested three more Chinese men. In another room, they found the remaining Chinese woman, wearing pajamas and showing signs of abuse and distress. A long iron chain, believed to be used to restrain anyone who resisted, was found at the house.

The three victims, two women surnamed Liu, aged 36 and 32, and one woman surnamed Xing, aged 23, stated they were invited to Thailand to work in the entertainment industry. They were then tricked into coming to the house in Bang Lamung and locked up there. They reported being raped by the suspects and then forced to contact their families for ransom.

Iron chain found by Thai police at the scene. Photo: Thaiger

The four Chinese men arrested were Haiyang Liu, 31; Lan Liang Feng, 28; Xiao Jia Bin, 25; and Deng Shunzhi, 22. The group faces charges of illegal detention, assault, rape, and extortion. Only Deng Shunzhi possessed a passport, leading immigration police to suspect the other three entered the country illegally. Thai authorities are verifying their entry routes, the duration of their stay in Thailand, potential accomplices, and whether there are any other suspects at large.

Four Chinese suspects arrested at the scene. Photo: Thaiger

This incident follows another alarming case in late August, where a Chinese woman was kidnapped while visiting Thailand. In that instance, kidnappers posed as tour guides, introduced by someone the victim knew online, and took her to Mae Sot district, Tak border province, to attempt to cross into Myanmar. The woman narrowly escaped the plot when the car passed a police checkpoint in Kamphaeng Phet province. She screamed for help, prompting police to pursue. Taking advantage of the suspects' distraction, she forcefully opened the door, jumped from the car, and was rescued by police. Thai authorities arrested four suspects related to that incident.

Pattaya Mail warned that recent kidnappings involving Chinese tourists could erode confidence in the country's tourism industry, especially as information spreads rapidly on social media. As the perception of risk increases, tourists may choose other destinations, causing Thailand to lose its image as a safe destination.

Thanh Danh (According to Thai Examiner, Thaiger)