22-year-old Angie Chong Sum Yee was on a solo trip in Chiang Mai, Thailand, when she was reported missing by her mother, Chee Choy Won on June 2, after her daughter had been irresponsive to her texts for more than 24 hours.
Recounting the most recent instance of communicating with her daughter, Choy Won made reference to her daughter’s WhatsApp “last seen” timestamp of 10pm on Thursday, June 1.
The beautician’s brother told Harian Metro neither he nor his family had any knowledge of Angie’s purpose for visiting the neighboring country. They only discovered her whereabouts after she arrived in Thailand on May 29.
What transpired since her disappearance is a crazier plot twist than when Kendall Roy from Succession backstabbed his father (again) on live television in Season 3.
A timeline of events since Angie was announced as a missing person 12 days ago
The disappearance
On June 5, Coconuts got confirmation from the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok that they received a missing persons report on Angie and have launched an investigation into it.
On the same day, a report in Thailand aired CCTV footage showing a woman resembling Angie.
In the CCTV recording, she was seen traveling with a woman dressed in white.
According to the Bangkok Post, official sources revealed that Angie visited a river pier located on the border between Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai and Myanmar. Subsequently, her concerned family lost contact with her.
Leaving Thailand
The sources mentioned that Angie arrived at a hotel near the Mae Sai border checkpoint on May 29.
The next day, she traveled toward the border in Tambon Koh Chang of Mae Sai on a motorcycle.
This area is where the frontier is defined by the Ruak River, separating Tachilek township in Myanmar on the opposite side.
The authorities located the motorcyclist, who reported that Angie had given her 500 baht to take her to a border pier located in tambon Koh Chang. The motorcyclist was unaware of whether the Malaysian woman had actually crossed the border.
Angie’s mom arrives in Chiang Mai
According to Khaosod English, Angie’s mother, Chee, arrived with her son in Chiang Mai province on June 6 to meet with the Thai tourist police in the hope of finding her daughter.
She told Thai journalists that she was very concerned about Angie’s fate. The mother explained that her daughter does not work in a casino. It was previously speculated that Angie may have gone to Thailand to work which in most cases turned out to be a scam.
The Pavena Foundation for Children and Women and the Tourism Police report that 227 Thai women residing in Tachiliek province, which is designated as a Special Administrative Region, were victims of deceit.
The predominant number of individuals were provided false information regarding their employment prospects, having been assured roles as receptionists, waitresses, or in similar service-oriented positions.
Regrettably, instead of being employed in such capacities, they were coerced into engaging in prostitution.
Suspicious messages and videos
On June 7, mysterious videos emerged online featuring Angie, who stated in one of the videos that she was unharmed and her family had no need to be concerned about her well-being.
As reported by Sin Chew Daily, the videos were posted by a newly created Facebook account under the name “Moe Aye.”
Out of the trio of videos, two were recorded by a camera capturing a phone playing Chong’s videos, prompting internet users to question why “Moe Aye” didn’t directly upload the videos to Facebook.
In a brief video lasting 34 seconds, she can be observed seated with a bowl of food in front of her.
“Hello, hello. In reality, I am doing well,” she begins in the video.
“I am perfectly safe and healthy. I have not experienced any form of assault. Therefore, my friends, family, and even unknown individuals on the internet, please do not worry about me. I am extremely healthy,” she says with a vibrant smile.
In another video lasting 23 seconds, she asserts that she is currently employed at an undisclosed location.
“I am currently working here, and I am safe. Please do not worry about me. I am in a highly secure environment. So, I request the police not to bother the person who gave me a ride. They are unaware of anything,” she explains in the video, where the reflections on her glasses reveal a brightly lit screen.
Numerous internet users suspected that she was reciting a prepared text while recording herself, as her gaze seemed to shift from left to right, focusing beyond the camera in the footage.
The third video exhibits her flashing a peace sign toward the camera within a setting reminiscent of a store.
On the same day, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) announced that they will work together with the Thai police and the International Police (Interpol) to locate Angie.
The Secretary of PDRM, Noorsiah Mohd Saaduddin, stated that they have also received cooperation from other authorities in Thailand and Myanmar, as well as various other parties.
Meanwhile, Johor’s Democratic Action Party (DAP) organized a press briefing concerning Angie’s disappearance on June 10.
During the press conference, Angie Chong’s mother, was in attendance, accompanied by Alan Tee Boon Tsong, a representative from the DAP who has been helping the family with Angie’s case.
Tee stated that there is a substantial likelihood that Angie Chong is in Myanmar.
Chee revealed that she was unaware of Angie Chong’s departure for Thailand until she came across a Facebook post made by her daughter.
According to her mom, Angie worked in Klang, and despite not being at home, her mother emphasized that she is seldom uncontactable.
Angie’s mother expressed that she began reaching out to her daughter again after news of her disappearance spread widely.
“Only she can contact me, I can’t reach out to her. She didn’t let me say anything, and she just kept saying the same thing, ‘I am safe, I am good’, like those you see on Facebook.”
Chee expressed uncertainty when questioned about her belief in the identity of the person who messaged her, claiming to be her daughter.
In the beginning, Angie told her mother that she was going to Thailand for work and would return on June 7.
“When I inquired about her workplace, she evaded the question and simply reiterated that she was located at the border of Thailand.”
Chee recounted, “She implored me to retract the police report, stating that her return hinged on it. She uttered, ‘I’m fine now, I’m happy.'”
According to Chee, her daughter’s voice exuded signs of nervousness. “She remains unaware of my presence in Thailand and solely requested that I cease pestering the driver who fetched her there,” Chee remarked.
Additionally, she disclosed experiencing three instances of Facebook account hacking since June 7, 2023, surmising a possible connection to her daughter’s disappearance.
What’s next?
For a case where a lot has happened since the news broke out, the most important task has yet to happen – that is, to find and locate Angie.
The internet is rife with plenty of theories and speculations surrounding the case which has also picked up interest internationally. Everyone is keen to see how events unfold but nothing can be confirmed until the authorities can get a hold of Angie and only then can we piece the story together.
