In a heart-wrenching appeal outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, a couple from Shandong province, China, has asked for assistance in locating their missing son, feared to have fallen victim to human trafficking in Southeast Asia. The parents, 64-year-old Sun Maoxing and his wife, 60-year-old Wang Weiju, embarked on their first trip abroad in a desperate attempt to find their only child, 32-year-old Sun Baochao.
Sun Baochao’s disappearance dates back to April of last year, following his last known contact during his grandmother’s funeral. Since then, the family has only received sporadic WeChat messages, including vague requests for money. Wang Weiju also reported receiving three calls from her son’s account, during which a woman speaking broken Mandarin was on the line, further deepening their concerns.
Thai authorities have confirmed Sun’s arrival in Bangkok on January 1, when he was last seen taking a taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport. However, no trace of him has been found since then. Embassy officials have requested case documents from the couple but have yet to provide updates on their son’s whereabouts.
“We cannot live without him. Please save my son,” the distraught parents pleaded.
The incident highlights a growing crisis in Southeast Asia, where human trafficking syndicates target individuals with fake job offers, often coercing them into scam operations. The Thailand-Myanmar border, including regions like Mae Sot in Tak province, has become a focal point for such activities, with victims enduring forced labor, captivity, and abuse.
This case mirrors that of Wang Yaxin, a 40-year-old man searching for his 28-year-old cousin, last known to be in Thailand’s Tak province. His cousin is feared to have been ensnared in a loan scam, another common tactic used by traffickers in the region.
Recent headlines have also brought attention to the plight of victims such as Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was rescued from a Myanmar scam compound. Like many others, he was deceived with false promises, held captive, and forced into fraudulent activities.
According to reports, over 6,000 individuals, including approximately 3,900 Chinese nationals, are currently trapped within Myanmar’s human trafficking networks. Many face severe physical and psychological abuse, underscoring the urgent need for international cooperation to tackle this escalating crisis.
Sun Maoxing and Wang Weiju, along with others sharing similar tragedies, continue to await any news or action that could bring their loved ones back home.