Hope Fades as Thai Police Find Suspected Body of Missing Chinese Woman

Police officers find a body believed to be the missing Chinese woman, Miss Yan, in a suspicious, grassy area in Bang Krud Subdistrict, Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province on July 13, 2024.

CHACHOENGSAO — The hopes of relatives of Miss Yan, a 38-year-old Chinese woman who disappeared in early July, appear to have faded. On Saturday, police found a body believed to be hers in a suspicious, grassy area in Bang Krud Subdistrict, Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province.

However, the police have not yet made a definitive conclusion, as they are waiting for official DNA test results.

From CCTV footage, police suspect a grassy area in Moo 2, Bang Phra Subdistrict, Mueang Chachoengsao District, as the most likely location. This is where Mr. Ma, the suspect, parked his car, opened the trunk, and took out a bag. He spent nearly 40 minutes at this spot.

Officials requested rescue team assistance for a second day of searching on July 13, after finding burned remnants of Miss Yan’s hand bag and documents at another location on Friday. These two areas are 1 km apart.

Advertisement

chinese found body2
Rescuers fig the area beneath the pile of tile fragments and find a body believed to be the missing Chinese woman, Miss Yan, in a suspicious, grassy area in Bang Krud Subdistrict, Ban Pho District, Chachoengsao Province on July 13, 2024.

The search team used grass cutters to clear the area. Metropolitan police investigators found two black plastic bags discarded on the roadside opposite a dense forest across from Tha It Village. The bags were tightly packed with soil and tile fragments.

Police Major General Noppasilp Poolsawat, Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Police, detected an odor emanating from the pile of tile fragments. The Chachoengsao rescue unit then began digging in this area, which had standing water underneath.

After digging about 20 centimeters, the search team found a blue tarpaulin. Upon opening it, they discovered a decomposed body submerged in water. All body parts were intact and not dismembered.

The rescue team also found two silicone implants in the water, one still attached to the left chest. Police coordinated with the forensic department and doctors from Buddhasothorn Hospital to examine the scene. Tissue samples were collected for DNA testing to compare with Miss Yan’s father’s DNA, as the body had been buried for over 10 days.

chinese abduct53
Miss Yan, a 38-year-old Chinese tourist, has been missing in Bangkok since July 2, 2024.

In the investigation, police questioned Miss Yan’s family members. No one knew of any relationship between Miss Yan and the suspect, Mr. Ma. The relative who received the phone call demanding a 1 million yuan ransom (nearly 5 million baht or $138,000) was Miss Yan’s brother-in-law.

He quickly informed the woman’s family, prompting relatives to fly to Thailand to follow the case. Police have coordinated with the embassy and immigration to check the backgrounds of both Miss Yu and the suspect, including whether the man had previously entered Thailand for any occupation.

Although the suspect left Thailand for Hong Kong on July 3 and used Miss Yu’s money in Macau from July 4-6, the police investigation team will coordinate with the Immigration Bureau and the embassy to bring him in for questioning as soon as possible. 

_______

Related article: Thai Police Fear Chinese Woman Who Disappeared May Not Survive