KAMPHAENG PHET — Two Thai men have been arrested after a Chinese woman was allegedly abducted, bound with cable ties and driven from Bangkok toward the Thai-Myanmar border before escaping from the car in Kamphaeng Phet province.
The incident occurred at around 21:00 on 23 August, when the woman, who had been staying at a hotel in Bangkok, was picked up by a black Nissan Teana. She told police that she had arranged transportation through a person she believed was a tour guide but had only communicated with by phone.
After leaving the hotel, the car stopped to pick up three other men. The woman said she realized she had been deceived and tried to resist, but the men allegedly restrained her, tied her hands with cable ties and struck her in the mouth.
The group was reportedly heading toward Mae Sot district in Tak province when the woman saw a police checkpoint in Kamphaeng Phet.
She told investigators that she shouted for help, but the driver allegedly sped through the checkpoint. During the escape, she managed to open the car door and get out while the vehicle was still moving.
She ran to a nearby business and knocked on the door seeking help. Police and members of the public assisted her before she was taken to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital for medical treatment.
Police launched a pursuit of the vehicle, which allegedly drove through the checkpoint in front of Chula police box. Officers followed it until it reached Lan Dok Mai subdistrict, where one of the car’s tires reportedly burst.
The suspects abandoned the vehicle and fled into nearby woodland. Police arrested two men, identified as Somkiat Thakaew, 41, and Kittiporn Winyah, 24, both from Mae Sot. Two other suspects escaped, although police said they had identified those believed to be involved.
Kittiporn, who allegedly drove the vehicle, told investigators that Somkiat had hired him for 10,000 baht to pick up the Chinese woman. He claimed that after collecting her from the hotel, he picked up Somkiat and two other men.
According to Kittiporn, the two men in the back seat took the woman’s phone and restrained her. He said he asked what they were doing but was told to keep driving.
The woman later gave a statement to police with the assistance of tourist police and a Chinese-language interpreter.
She said she had been traveling to Singapore and stopped in Thailand for a visit. After arriving in Thailand, she stayed at a hotel in Bangkok and contacted a person she believed was a tour guide.
Police said the investigation is continuing to determine the motive and whether the suspects were part of a wider network.
Investigators are questioning the two arrested suspects and working to locate the remaining suspects.