Thai embassy says online trafficking charges are baseless

Thailand has attempted to reassure Chinese tourists that the country is a safe vacation destination in response to internet rumors about the possibility of human trafficking.

“Thailand attaches great importance to the quality of Chinese tourists’ travels, their safety, and their favorable impression of Thailand,” the Thai embassy in Beijing said Thursday, adding that relevant departments would “take corresponding measures to fully maintain and guarantee tourists’ safety.”

“The [embassy] completely comprehends the safety concerns of travelers. Thailand has long been a popular destination for travelers from across the globe. Since [China] has permitted Chinese tourists to travel overseas, Thailand has made extensive preparations to welcome [them] and provided several communication channels for [them], allowing visitors to acquire information and report emergencies to the tourism police with ease and security.”

The embassy stated that it want to “clarify misconceptions concerning content and remarks” regarding Thailand’s danger to tourists, but did not specify the reason for its statement.

But, the remarks were made in response to a 34-minute vlog broadcast on Bilibili, the Chinese YouTube counterpart, that cautioned against recordings depicting Bangkok eateries with gorgeous male servers.

The videos’ popularity on social media has skyrocketed, and the poster of the vlog, “Heart Doctor Lin Lin,” indicated that traffickers may be manipulating the algorithm to draw more Chinese visitors to the nation, putting the travelers at risk.

The blogger stated that the eateries were typical in Thailand and lacked novelty.

The videos targeted women, making them especially susceptible, but there was also content geared towards men, the YouTuber claimed, cautioning travelers to be vigilant.

Since then, the vlog has been removed and Heart Doctor Lin Lin’s account has been terminated, but not before the content was widely circulated and sparked internet discussion. A repost of the vlog entry on Weibo is also available and has received over 33,000 likes.

Others claimed that the warning was warranted and that the YouTuber served to “highlight the evil side of civilization”

According to the Global Slavery Index, around 610,000 victims of human trafficking reside in Thailand.

Trafficking is a widespread concern in Southeast Asia.

On Thursday, the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, Chen Hai, and the vice prime minister of Myanmar, Soe Win, discussed strategies to combat unlawful cross-border criminal enterprises such as online fraud and gambling.

And Hong Kong officials said in August of last year that since January they had received over forty requests for assistance in relation to human trafficking schemes in the region.