Chinese woman missing in Thailand after accepting ride from stranger, embassy confirms

A 24-year-old Chinese woman has been missing in Thailand for more than a week after accepting a ride from a stranger at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, with the Chinese embassy confirming it has received a request for assistance from her family.

Qi Meng, who was travelling abroad for the first time, arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on August 2 on flight MH784 from Kuala Lumpur, where she had spent a week sightseeing . Her friend, internet influencer Chen Ze, said she accepted an offer from a stranger to "give her a lift to Chiang Mai" and lost contact after getting into the vehicle .

The Chinese embassy in Thailand confirmed on August 11 that Qi's family had sought help and that it had informed them of procedures for reporting the case to Thai police . The embassy said it would continue to provide assistance .

Qi's family has been hospitalised due to extreme stress, according to online appeals. Her friends have publicly asked for those holding her to contact them to discuss a ransom, begging for her safe return .

Netizens noted inconsistencies in the case, including the IP address of the missing person appeal, which was traced to Cambodia, not China . Some reports suggest Qi had planned the trip with a male acquaintance she had recently met online .

The case has drawn comparisons to the 2023 disappearance of a Chinese influencer who was invited to the Philippines by a friend before disappearing .

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓