Thai police have arrested a 32-year-old Chinese woman wanted by authorities in China after she allegedly hid in Thailand for almost a year and attempted a visa run to Malaysia.
The woman, identified only as Ms Wang, was detained in Samut Prakan, on 14 September. Police said she had just arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport after flying back from Kuala Lumpur.
The operation was ordered by Major General Phatthanasak Bupphasuwan, commander of the Crime Suppression Division. Colonel Phattharaphon Pathomwong, head of the division's support unit, and Lieutenant Colonel Sitthichai Khemklad of Immigration Bureau Investigation Division 1 took part in the arrest.
Six-year sentence in China
Chinese authorities had sought Ms Wang over an offence described as arranging prostitution. Her case is handled by the Nanning Public Security Bureau in the People's Republic of China.
Police said she had previously faced prosecution in China and obtained temporary bail because she was pregnant. On 2 December 2025, the Xixiangtang People's Court issued a final ruling sentencing her to six years in prison and a fine of 500,000 yuan.
After the verdict took effect, Ms Wang allegedly fled before beginning her sentence. Investigators said she travelled by train to Pingxiang in Guangxi, near the Vietnamese border, on 18 December 2025, after which Chinese authorities lost contact with her.
They believe she crossed the border illegally leaving China.
Police tracked Bangkok hideout
Thailand's Crime Suppression Division said it used technological tracing and shared intelligence with other agencies to establish that Ms Wang was likely hiding in the Huai Khwang area of Bangkok.
Officers subsequently monitored her movements and found that she was planning a "visa run" - leaving Thailand and returning in an effort to extend or refresh her stay and avoid scrutiny of her immigration status.
On 11 September 2026, Ms Wang flew from Thailand to Kuala Lumpur. Police said they knew in advance that she intended to return and continued surveillance until she arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport a few days later.
After leaving the airport building, she stopped at the roadside at what police described as a meeting point where she was preparing to board a vehicle and flee. Officers then moved in and detained her.
Authorities said Ms Wang will now face proceedings under Thai law before being deported to China to serve the sentence imposed by the Chinese court.
Picture courtesy of Daily News
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16 September 2026
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