A 24-year-old Chinese woman has disappeared after arriving at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport from Malaysia, prompting the Chinese embassy to activate its emergency response mechanism and coordinate with Thai authorities. Qi Meng, who was making her first trip abroad, has not been heard from since she reportedly left the airport with a Chinese man she had only recently met online. Claims that she may have been taken to an online scam operation have not been confirmed by Thai police or other officials. The case was widely discussed on Chinese social media on 11 August, including platforms used in mainland China and Taiwan. World Forum, an international news page, reported the disappearance, alongside several Chinese media outlets. Last contact after airport arrival Qi Meng had spent about a week travelling in Malaysia before flying from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok. At 9am on 2 August, she arrived at Suvarnabhumi on Malaysia Airlines flight MH784. According to the reports, the man she had met online offered to drive her to Chiang Mai. She accepted the offer and got into his vehicle, after which contact with her was lost. Her family has become increasingly distressed, with one relative reportedly needing hospital treatment. There has so far been no demand for ransom, an absence that has added to concerns because kidnappings commonly involve demands for money in exchange for a victim's release. Online claims remain unverified Chen Zhe, a Chinese influencer and streamer with more than 30 million followers and described as Qi Meng's friend, has appealed for help on social media. He said information received suggested the suspect may have been planning Qi Meng's journey while she was still in China. Friends have also appealed to anyone holding her to spare her life, saying the family would be prepared to negotiate a ransom for her release. Some social media users have alleged that she may have been transferred to a scam gang or made to work for a company. Those claims, along with the suggestion of advance planning, remain under investigation and have not been verified by local police or officially confirmed by Thai authorities. The Chinese embassy in Thailand said it has launched emergency procedures and is working with Thai counterparts to review airport CCTV footage and follow leads in the disappearance. Picture courtesy of Naewna Join the discussion? 13 August 2026
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