Suspicion Continues Over Connection with High-End Car Chinese Interpreter
Thai Police Say "No Link to Criminal Organization"
Recently, controversy has arisen as Chinese individuals with severely disfigured faces and limbs have been begging in groups on the streets of Thailand. While some have raised concerns about possible human trafficking, the Thai police concluded that there is no connection to criminal organizations.
According to local media such as the Bangkok Post and Thai PBS, people with mutilated body parts began to appear noticeably since last October. In particular, since the 10th of last month, reports have been continuously received about Chinese individuals begging in downtown Bangkok.
They were reportedly holding plastic boxes and begging citizens for money. Some were begging while carrying eco-bags labeled in Korean as "Yeongdeungpo Public Library." Begging is illegal in Thailand.
Some citizens found their appearance suspicious. Most of them had burn scars and wounds on various parts of their bodies, and in some cases, limbs were missing or their faces were so damaged that it was difficult to recognize them. Due to their appearance, rumors circulated that "Chinese gangs are kidnapping able-bodied people, mutilating their bodies, and forcing them to earn money in Thailand."
Eventually, the Thai police cracked down and arrested six men and women. According to the police investigation, their nationality was Chinese. They told the police things like "begging is not illegal in China" and "we came today and begged." Notably, four of them said, "After being severely injured in a fire in China, we came to Thailand and voluntarily started begging." It was found that they begged on the streets for 5 to 6 hours a day and earned up to 10,000 baht (about 370,000 KRW) daily.
The conspiracy theory that a criminal organization is behind this has not disappeared. This is because they were connected to a Chinese interpreter who drove a luxury car and stayed together in accommodations such as apartment hotels.
However, local police concluded that it is difficult to see them as victims of human trafficking. They stated that these individuals voluntarily went out to beg on the streets.
Regarding the Chinese interpreter linked to them, the police said, "There is no evidence yet that he exploited disabled Chinese people to make money." Accordingly, immigration authorities deported the six Chinese individuals posing as beggars and banned them from entering Thailand for 10 years.
Meanwhile, this incident has also sparked criticism of the Thai government's policy toward Chinese tourists. To attract Chinese group tourists, the Thai government allowed visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from September last year until February next year. However, by excessively relaxing the entry conditions for tourists, there have been ongoing concerns that people whose identities have not been properly verified are entering indiscriminately.
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