Hong Kong singer-songwriter Lee Kin-tat, who has been living in Bangkok, Thailand for over 7 years, nearly fell into the recently sensational Burmese human trafficking scam over two years ago. Fortunately, he was alert at the time and escaped the trap!
Recently, Chinese actor Wang Xing revealed he was lured to 'shoot a movie in Thailand', only to be forcibly taken to Myanmar by human traffickers, tortured, and forced to undergo 'fraud training'. Shortly after, there was news of 'post-00' 25-year-old male model Yang Zeqi being suspected of being 'sold as a piglet' to Myanmar. After being tricked into flying to Thailand, he went missing for nearly a month before being successfully rescued by his father, who went to report to the police in Thailand.
Lee Kin-tat, a Hong Kong singer-songwriter known for the movie "All About Ah-Long" theme song "Maybe It's Not Easy", settled in Bangkok in 2017. In recent years, he frequently travels between China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Thailand for work, and plans to release new works in Malaysia this year. He recently celebrated his 61st birthday, with a group of industry friends including Law Man-chong, Chan Kwok-bong, producer Yeung Siu-hong, and Thailand connoisseur Woo Wai-chung gathering in Bangkok to celebrate with him.
The incident occurred one morning in May 2022 when Lee Kin-tat summoned a ride-hailing car to a tourist hotspot some distance from the city center for a music video shoot. He recalled the scene: "The morning was during rush hour, and the driver was a middle-aged man who asked if I was working in Thailand. Since I always felt Thai people were trustworthy, I directly told him I was staying here on a work permit."
The driver then asked if he needed to extend his visa. Without suspicion, he honestly replied that his visa would expire in two weeks and that his usual practice would be to fly to Kuala Lumpur for two days before returning to Bangkok to work. Upon hearing this, the driver quickly claimed to be a retired immigration officer and offered a cheap method to extend his visa without flying to Kuala Lumpur. He suggested simply taking a 14-seater van to the Myanmar border, turning around, and immediately obtaining a new 90-day visa, all for just 1000 baht.
The fee, which was five times cheaper than Lee's round-trip airfare to Malaysia, tempted him. The driver then gave him a friend's phone number and LINE contact, stating that this friend could assist him. Before Lee reached his destination, the driver repeatedly urged him to call the friend immediately and to add him on LINE.
Though suspicious of the driver's excessive enthusiasm, given the Taiwanese KK Park news hadn't broken yet, Lee didn't realize he was slowly falling into a scam. Just as he was about to call the friend's number, they arrived at the destination. Since he had booked a one-way trip, he hurriedly paid and got out of the car, aiming to complete filming before the crowds arrived at 8 AM. Consequently, he didn't make the call and soon forgot about the incident due to his busy schedule.
A few days later, news of the KK Park scam broke out in Taiwan. In Bangkok, the scam method involved luring victims to take 14-seater vans to Myanmar, just as the ride-hailing driver suggested to Lee, making him break into a cold sweat at the narrow escape.
Having narrowly escaped, he remarked, "Life is really mysterious. No matter what religion you believe in, when it's your turn, it's your turn!" He reminded himself to do more good deeds and cherish the present, adding, "Nowadays in Bangkok, I try not to use ride-hailing services. I always arrange for friends to drive me."
He also stated that due to the pandemic, many people, himself included, have exhausted their savings, leading him to eagerly accept offers for performances, film projects, and online movies to make money. However, following the Wang Xing incident, prioritizing personal safety, he turned down a business performance opportunity in Kunming. He lamented, "I really hate to miss it, but given the current situation, I must practice detachment; there's really no choice!"
Though narrowly deceived by a Thai person he always considered reliable, he emphasized that this was just a case of a few bad apples, and most Thai people are very friendly. When asked if the trafficking incidents in Thailand have severely impacted tourism and if he worries for his safety, he replied, "Actually, as long as you are extra careful when going to Thailand, the likelihood of encountering incidents is greatly reduced."
He reminded young friends planning to visit Thailand to be extra cautious and advised, "Ladies should never travel alone to Bangkok; going in groups of three or five is safer. It's most important to stay in touch with family, have fun, and I wish everyone safety."
While happily celebrating his 61st birthday in Bangkok, Lee hopes for the early escape of fellow Chinese people deceived by the KK Park in Myanmar and wishes they could reunite with their families for Lunar New Year.