Chinese actor Wang Xing (right) talks with Thai police officers after returning to Thailand in Mae Sot district, Tak province, Thailand, on January 7, 2025. Photo: VCG

Representatives from the law firm handling the human trafficking case of Chinese actor Wang Xing told the Global Times on Thursday that Thai authorities are conducting a full investigation into the incident involving Wang. The focus now for both Thai police and the law firm is to pursue criminal charges against those responsible, they said.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said on Thursday that Thailand must guard against becoming a transit point for criminal activity. Following the disappearance of Wang, Paetongtarn emphasized the need to strengthen and refine existing laws and regulations in Thailand, with a firm stance on cracking down on such offenses, CCTV News reported.

Thai police said on Wednesday that Wang, who was rescued after going missing in an area near the Thailand-Myanmar border on January 3, was a victim of human trafficking, as authorities prepare to send him to China, which is expected to happen within the next one to two days, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

On the same day, the Mandarin Law Firm (MDR) in Thailand issued a statement online, officially accepting Wang's commission and appointing lawyers as Wangs legal representatives to provide comprehensive legal services for him and his family. Kavin Guo, MDR's legal department manager, said that Thai authorities are working closely with the Chinese Embassy in Thailand to communicate with Wang and his relatives, offering support, ensuring a safe return and solving the case.

According to Guo, during the rescue process of Wang, the law firm witnessed the swift actions taken by the Chinese Embassy and consulates in Thailand and Thai authorities in cooperation to facilitate the rescue.  The Chinese Consulate General in Chiang Mai called for volunteers to report any information to the police station in Tak's Mae Sot district on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok assigned a representative to accompany Wang's girlfriend and brother when filing a report at the Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station on Monday, and actively followed up with Thailand's transnational extradition bureau on Tuesday.

Thai authorities also responded quickly, Guo said, noting that after Wang entered Thailand from Myanmar, he was soon taken to the capital Bangkok, and transferred to a specialized shelter where he received daily living and medical support.

A five-person legal team has been established by the MDR to provide comprehensive legal services to Wang and his family. Guo noted that his law firm has handled many similar cases in the past.

Tawan Wang, the media department manager of MDR, told the Global Times that, including their involvement in the rescue of the Chinese actor, their lawyers have frequently traveled to Mae Sot, which is just across the river from Myanmar, to conduct preliminary investigations. 

According to Tawan Wang, Thai authorities are taking a more proactive approach to tackle human trafficking. During the rescue operation for Wang Xing, while traveling from Bangkok to Mae Sot, the legal team was stopped and questioned once by the police and three times at military checkpoints. "They would stop passing vehicles one by one, asking motorists to roll down their windows, requesting the passengers to provide their passports, and then inquiring in detail about their purpose for going to the border," said the lawyer. 

MDR lawyers also noted that there is an escalation in telecom fraud cases involving human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Tawan Wang said that the focus of fraud rings has shifted from cheap labor to targeting educated or high-income groups, such as actors and engineers, through "high salary" scams. "These schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using industry jargon to lure victims."

According to a video testimony from Wang Xing after his rescue released by The Beijing News, the fraud group posed as a well-known entertainment company in Thailand to deceive him into going to the airport. After being abducted, his hair was shaved by the telecom fraudsters, and he received two to three days of typing training. There were at least 50 other people in his building, Wang Xing said.

Since MDR posted videos related to Wang Xing's case on Sina Weibo, they have received around five requests for help from individuals with similar experiences. Many were lured to Thailand under the pretense of acting jobs and went missing, Tawan Wang said.

Following Wang's rescue on Tuesday afternoon, a group of over 400 netizens in a WeChat group in China were also discussing how to rescue their relatives. A total of 174 group members filled out detailed information about the trapped individuals, hoping to leverage the successful rescue of Wang to collectively voice their pleas for help on social media.

Guo pointed out that with the high attention given by the Thai government and the Chinese Embassy and consulates in Thailand, the Chinese legal community in Thailand, including MDR, is continuously upgrading legal aid plans for such cross-border human trafficking cases. This includes how to quickly locate where the victims are trapped, how to ensure that the victims can arrive in Thailand quickly, and how to enable the clients to return to China safely as soon as possible.