A Thai clothes seller and her brother were rescued from being locked up in a room by Chinese merchants on Sunday, after they alerted Thai police via LINE, a cutesy popular messaging application.
Supitchaya Sinthaworanan, a clothes seller at Bangkok’s Platinum shopping mall, said that while she and her brother, Thirawat, were browsing for new products at her usual retailer in Guangzhou, China, over 20 local merchants surrounded them.
Supitchaya said the Chinese demanded she pay THB2 million in old debt, which was owed by her sister-in-law from previous purchases that she could not pay off. Despite Supitchaya saying she had nothing to do with that debt, the Chinese merchants did not let her go because they were relatives, Amarin TV reported.
Supitchaya said she was locked in a room, where she started messaging a police officer she knew personally via LINE application. That police officer then alerted Pol. Col. Pakkapong Saiubon, deputy chief of the Immigration Police.
Screenshots of Supitchaya’s conversation with Pol. Pakkapong showed that she sent him a happy sticker when the Immigration deputy chief identified himself and photos of the room she was confined in.
After that, Pol. Col. Pakkapong contacted the Chinese police. Six hours later, two officers in Guangzhou came to the rescue of the two Thais, Khaosod reported.
In the end, Supitchaya agreed to pay THB1 million on behalf of her sister-in-law in exchange for her and her brother’s freedom.
According to Thai law, the merchants would have been charged for confinement, but it is unclear whether such action is illegal in China. Pol. Col. Pakkapong said he was investigating.
Bussadee Santipitak, a spokeswoman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commented that the two Thais were released and flew back to Bangkok the same night.
