A 34-year-old male Chinese national was arrested in Macau after a dismembered body believed to be the missing Chinese TikToker Yan Ruimin was found outside Bangkok, Thailand, on Jul. 13 (Singapore time).

According to The Bangkok Post, Thai police discovered human remains in a deserted area in Chachoengsao, 50km east of Bangkok.

Yan, 38, was reported missing on Jul. 12 after she reportedly told her friend that she was heading to Phuket but later became uncontactable.

Background

According to The Bangkok Post, Yan's friend, Cai Boxuan, also a Chinese national, made a police report about her disappearance after he last heard from her on Jun. 30.

Yan's family had come to Thailand to seek assistance from the Chinese embassy after they could not reach her.

On Jul. 1, Yan was seen getting into a car with a man at Times Square, near Sukhumvit Soi 12.

He was identified as Ma Qingyan, a Chinese national, using footage from surveillance cameras.

The car headed to multiple stops before finally appearing in Chachoengsao on Jul. 3 at around 2am.

Later that day, Ma checked out of his Bangkok hotel and flew to Hong Kong.

Remains were badly decomposed, DNA testing to be done

Police followed Yan's mobile phone signal to the Muang district, where they found burnt luggage.

Human remains were later discovered at a secluded site near a housing estate at around noon on Jul. 13.

A preliminary forensic examination revealed that the body found did not appear to have sustained any serious injuries to the head or brain, reported The Bangkok Post.

Supichai Limsiwawong, commander of the Police General Hospital's Institute of Forensic Medicine, said that authorities found it difficult to identify the body as it was badly decomposed.

A DNA test is underway, and due to the body's condition, samples had to be extracted from the bones.

The results are expected to be released on Jul. 19.

Arrested in Macau

Ma was arrested in Macau after trying to pawn a fake watch at a shop on Jul. 10, reported Hong Kong news broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK).

He was reported to the police after shop employees found him suspicious.

Ma was eventually arrested at the Taipa Ferry Terminal, handed over to the Chinese police on Jul. 15 and confirmed as the suspect involved in Yan's case.

Investigations are ongoing.

Top photos via Metropolitan Police Bureau & The Bangkok Post