Police believe they have found the remains of a 38-year-old Chinese tourists dumped in a deserted area in the Muang district of Chachoengsao province just east of Bangkok. The Chinese woman was reported to have been kidnapped for ransom in Bangkok nearly two weeks ago, according to police.
A search team from Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), inspected the deserted site near a housing estate in tambon Bang Phra of Muang district in Chachoengsao province around noon on Saturday.
They found a torso and human legs, that they believe could belong to Miss Yan Ruimin, 38 from China. Forensic investigators are coordinating with the police lab to carry out DNA tests of the body parts, the Thairath reported.
Bangkok Police began the search after Chinese national Cai Boxuan told police at the Bang Rak station in Bangkok on Friday that his friend Ms Yan had gone missing.
The last time he heard from her was on June 30 when she told him that she would go to Phuket on July 2. He said he feared she might be in danger.
According to a police source, Miss Yan’s relatives grew concerned after not hearing from her for some time, so they flew to Thailand and asked the Chinese embassy for help.
A suspect subsequently contacted them and demanded a ransom of 1 million yuan (5 million baht) for Miss Yan’s release. The suspect was identified as Chinese National Mr. Ma Qingyan, and a search discovered that he rented a car in Bangkok on June 30.
On July 1, Miss Yan was seen getting into the car at Times Square near Sukhumvit Soi 12, police said, and that a CCTV security camera video showed the car heading to Sukhumvit Soi 16. Later in the evening, CCTV security cameras captured the rented car with the suspect and the woman inside it travelling on Rama IV Road.
The following day, the car left the Sukhumvit 16 address and headed to Chon Buri.
At about 2am on July 3, the car appeared in Chachoengsao before Miss Yan’s telephone signal went dead in an area near a public park close to Wat Sothon Wararam Worawihan in Muang district.
Mr. Ma then reportedly checked out of his Bangkok hotel later that day and flew to Hong Kong, according to Immigration police said.
Police examined video from closed-circuit CCTV cameras along the route to Chachoengsao province , focusing on locations where the rental car had stopped.
Local media reported that a check of the car’s GPS showed that it travelled to a fish farm in Muang district. Police found an item of burned luggage, believed to belong to the missing woman, in tambon Bang Phra. The search eventually brought them to the site where they found the body parts believe to be Miss Yan’s
Reports of Chinese nationals being kidnapped in Thailand have been rising. Many victims are lured with fake job offers or business deals, only to be held for ransom.
Often, these kidnappings are tied to criminal networks that operate across borders. The victims’ families are then contacted and pressured to pay large sums for their release.
Authorities in Thailand are working on increasing security and cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok to tackle this issue. Police say it’s crucial for travelers to stay vigilant and avoid suspicious offers.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
