"Looks Fun, But..." Chinese University Student Kidnapped While Enjoying Songkran Festival; Chinese Embassy Issues Warning

Visited Songkran Festival at Invitation of Acquaintance
Believed to Have Been Handed Over to Telecom Fraud Syndicate
"Enticed into Telecom Fraud Under Pretense of Travel"

A Chinese female university student who traveled to Thailand to enjoy Songkran, the country’s traditional New Year festival, has been kidnapped.

According to Yangtze Evening Post, a Chinese media outlet, on April 24, a university student from Guangdong Province departed for Thailand on April 10 at the invitation of an acquaintance to participate in the Songkran festival, but was abducted locally.

She was taken by the kidnappers to the border area between Thailand and Myanmar and is now believed to have been handed over to a telecom fraud syndicate. Chinese authorities have reportedly launched an official investigation into the case, but the victim’s exact location and current situation remain unknown.

People are having a water gun fight at the Songkran Water Festival. Photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

After news of the incident broke, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand issued a safety advisory via social media on the same day. The embassy stated, “Recently, some Chinese nationals have been lured to the Thailand-Myanmar border region under the pretense of high-paying jobs or travel, only to become involved in telecom fraud.” The statement added, “Some have suffered serious harm, including violence and detention, and there are grave threats to life and safety.”

The Chinese Embassy particularly urged people to be wary of offers of “high-paying jobs” or travel opportunities via social media or messaging apps, and to carefully verify recommendations made through acquaintances or intermediaries. In addition, it emphasized that job seekers should go through legal procedures, and that before leaving the country, they must thoroughly check the qualifications of the hiring organization, as well as the workplace and job details.

Meanwhile, Songkran is widely known as Thailand’s traditional New Year celebration, where people enjoy splashing water in the streets. It is also called the “world’s largest water gun fight” and attracts a large influx of domestic and international tourists each year. However, due to incidents such as this kidnapping case, as well as recurring injuries and fatalities from the surge in traffic accidents and violent crimes during the festival period, tourists are being urged to exercise special caution.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.