CHIANG MAI – Police in northern Thailand are racing to piece together the circumstances behind the shocking murder of a young Chinese man whose body was discovered dumped in a roadside forest in Mae Rim National Park.
Police Lt Gen Krittathapol Yisakorn announced at a press briefing that the victim, believed to be 24-year-old Zhuang Zhou Yang, was lured to Chiang Mai under the pretext of a business meeting. Once in Thailand, he was allegedly kidnapped by fellow Chinese nationals, held for ransom, and ultimately killed.
The grim discovery was made when Yang’s body, wrapped in a black bag, bedsheet, and plastic, was found in scrubland near Ban Pang Wae in Mae Rim district. The victim had earlier been reported missing by his family, sparking a frantic search.
According to police, Mr. Yang crossed into Thailand from the King’s Roman Special Economic Zone in Laos via the Sop Ruak Immigration checkpoint in Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai. He was accompanied by another Chinese man, Mr. Hu Gang, as they traveled by taxi to Chiang Mai on 8 July. Soon afterward, Mr. Yang vanished, and kidnappers demanded a ransom of 3 million baht from his family.
Investigators traced Mr. Hu to a hotel in Chiang Mai on 10 July after his name surfaced during a ransom call to Mr. Yang’s sister. Mr. Hu told police that he, too, had been held captive and forced to pay 1.5 million baht for his own release. Police have charged Mr. Hu with illegal entry and are still questioning him to determine his role in the case.
Mr. Hu recounted that he and Mr. Yang had been invited to Chiang Mai by two Chinese nationals, Mr. Sang Benzin and Mr. Wang Shuang, who proposed a business expansion from the King’s Roman Zone. The group reportedly shared a meal before heading to a rented house in the San Phak Wan area of Hang Dong district.
While there, Mr. Hu said he awoke to find himself tied up and threatened with a knife. After transferring ransom money, he was taken to the room where he discovered Mr. Yang had been killed. That same night, Mr. Sang and Mr. Wang allegedly transported Mr. Hu and Mr. Yang’s body to the forest, disposed of the remains, and left Mr. Hu at a hotel, where police later found him.
Police apprehended Mr. Sang Benzin on 11 July at Kad Farang Market in Hang Dong. A search of the rented house uncovered bloodstains in both the garage and a bedroom. Mr. Sang confessed that Mr. Wang Shuang had killed Mr. Yang with a hammer and assisted in disposing of the body. He claimed Mr. Wang fled afterward, taking the murder weapon and Mr. Yang’s mobile phone, which was later discarded in the forest.
Investigators believe the entire plot was orchestrated to lure Mr. Yang and Mr. Hu to Thailand for ransom. Police continue to investigate Mr. Hu’s involvement to determine whether he was an accomplice or an additional victim in the elaborate scheme.
The search is ongoing for Mr. Wang Shuang, who remains at large.
