Chinese model rescued from Myanmar after having been tricked by 'high paying' magazine job offer in Thailand

A Chinese model has been rescued from human traffickers in Myanmar after an appeal by his sister.

Magazine cover at the border

According to VN Express, a 25-year-old model and Chinese national, Zhong Hao Bin, had been tricked into going to Myanmar after supposedly having been offered a job in Thailand.

Zhong’s sister posted to the Chinese social media platform Weibo, appealing for help finding him.

In her post, she said that Zhong had been a model for the past four years, and in early June had received an offer to pose for a magazine.

Zhong then flew to Thailand from Guangzhou on Jun. 8, arriving at Don Muang Airport in Bangkok, before being taken to the Thai province of Tak, which borders Myanmar.

It was there that Zhong’s family lost contact with him, and the hotel he was due to stay in said he had not checked in.

However, on Jun. 13, Zhong was able to contact his family, saying that he had been tricked into going to Myanmar, although he was not able to provide his location.

Zhong’s family appealed to Chinese and Thai authorities, who confirmed that they were assisting the family in seeking out Zhong.

Zhong's sister related how her brother was a kind person, suggesting that he may have been overly trusting.

But he had also taken on the responsibility of caring for her and their mother after the passing of their father, and she hoped for his safe return.

Rescued

On July 3, China Daily reported that Zhong had been rescued, with China’s embassy in Thailand stating that the rescue was a joint effort among multiple parties, but declining to offer further details.

However, the embassy warned Chinese nationals about the risks of taking on so-called “high-paying jobs” overseas and reminded them that foreigners in Thailand are required to obtain the appropriate permits to work legally in the country.

China and Thailand have also agreed to set up a coordination centre in Bangkok to further investigate and fight scam groups.

News reports on Zhong’s apparent abduction have drawn direct comparisons between this incident and that of Chinese actor Wang Xing.

Wang had similarly been contacted about a job in Thailand, before also travelling to the Tak province, and subsequently abducted.

Wang was rescued by a joint effort by Thai, Myanmar, and China authorities, who raided two locations and found 60 China nationals.

Safety issues

Thailand is facing growing concerns that tourism from China is being affected by safety issues related to scams.

The Pattaya Mail reports that Thailand is facing a “significant and persistent” decline in the number of tourists from China.

It cites a particular day in April 2025 when visitor numbers from China were under 6,000, down from an expected 15,000 to 20,000.

However, it did not specify the current average visitor number.

Thailand has undertaken efforts to restore confidence in the country by taking efforts such as launching apps to help tourists deal with potential emergencies.

Top image via @YnGliH/Weibo