BANGKOK — The investigation team for the case of the missing Chinese woman in Bangkok has ruled out the ransom hypothesis, as it turned out to be merely a miscommunication within her family. Now, only two motives for murder remain.
On July 14, the family of 38-year-old Miss Yan, who went missing on July 2, and whose body was believed to have been found on Saturday, along with officials from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, met with investigators at Bang Rak Police Station. They filed a request for Thai authorities to transfer the case to Chinese authorities to prosecute the suspect, who has already fled Thailand. Evidence shows he traveled to Hong Kong and Macau.
Miss Yan’s family wants the case transferred to their country because murder under Chinese law carries a maximum penalty of death. However, according to legal procedures, they must wait for the results of the identity verification from the forensic department of the Police Hospital for the body believed to be Miss Yan, found in Chachoengsao Province.
Chinese Embassy officials stated they would coordinate with Chinese authorities to determine whether they would investigate the case themselves or help arrest the suspect and extradite him back to Thailand for prosecution, as per the cooperation agreement signed between the two countries.
All parties are still waiting for detailed DNA comparison results from the Police Hospital, as the body found was in a decomposed state and couldn’t be identified from tissue samples. Therefore, they need to examine the bones found and compare them with the DNA of Miss Yan’s father.
The family confirmed they had never seen the suspect before and were unaware of the reasons for their daughter’s travel to Thailand.
Police Major General Nopsilp Poonsawat, Deputy Commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, provided an update on the investigation, stating that the police have ruled out the ransom motive. This was due to a misunderstanding when Mr. Cai, a 33-year-old student and friend of Miss Yan, called her family to inform them that she was missing and might have been kidnapped like other Chinese students in previous cases.
Miss Yan’s brother-in-law, who received the call, asked what should be done. Mr. Cai merely suggested preparing 1 million yuan (about 5 million baht) in case of ransom. Thus, the ransom issue was just a miscommunication. This case is not related to international criminal gangs or kidnapping for ransom.
Police Major General Nopsilp said that the police are now focusing on personal motives: a love affair and intention to steal property. Based on circumstantial evidence, Miss Yan and the suspect, Mr. Ma, knew each other. CCTV footage clearly shows the woman going with the man voluntarily, both when they met at Sukhumvit 12 and helped each other with luggage, and at Klong Toey Market where they were seen holding hands.
Currently, investigators are gathering evidence to issue an arrest warrant and request a red notice for extradition.
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Police has implemented measures to screen foreign individuals entering the country to maintain order and ensure tourist safety. They have established a center to suppress international criminals and illegal immigrants, and are coordinating with immigration police, who are the first line of defense against criminals entering Thailand.
Regarding the case, investigators are still focusing on motives related to a love conflict and intention to steal property. The ransom issue is preliminarily considered as just a precautionary measure suggested by the victim’s friend to her family after her disappearance. They will wait to question the missing person’s brother-in-law, who was told to prepare money in case of ransom, when he arrives in Thailand on July 18.
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