In 2022, he almost fallen victim to such a scam and narrowly escaped being sold to a compound in Myanmar.
In May that year, Douglas booked a private hire car via an e-hailing app to get to his music video filming location which was “quite a distance from Bangkok’s city centre”.
He recalled: “There was a heavy traffic jam that morning, and my driver, who was a middle-aged man, asked if I was in Thailand for work. I always felt that people from Thailand are reliable, so I was frank, and told him that I was staying there on a work visa.”
When asked if he had to extend his permit, an unsuspecting Douglas told the driver that his visa would expire in two weeks, and as usual, he would have to travel to Kuala Lumpur for two days before returning to Bangkok to resume his work.
The driver then claimed that he is a retired immigration officer, and that he knew of a “cheap” way for Douglas to skip the KL trip. He said Douglas only had to get on a 14-seater passenger truck, which will head to the Myanmar border before returning to Bangkok.
That way, his permit would be renewed for another 90 days, and it would only cost him 1000 baht (S$40).
Douglas was tempted as it was five times cheaper than what he would have spent on a flight to KL. The driver gave him the contact of a “friend” who would assist in the process.
The driver repeatedly urged Douglas to contact his friend during the ride and also asked that he add that friend on messaging app LINE.
Even though he was suspicious, Douglas still keyed in the “friend’s” number, but right as he was about to make the call, he arrived at his destination.
Douglas hurriedly paid the fare and got off the car. He got caught up with work and completely forgot about making the call.
It was only a few days later when the Myawaddy scam compound made the news in Taiwan, and one of the schemes reported was the exact “14-seater passenger truck” ploy Douglas almost fell for.
“I no longer dare to hire cars on e-hailing apps. When I want to get around, I’ll call in a favour and ask my friends to give me a ride,” said Douglas.
He said that many people, himself included, had lost job opportunities during the pandemic. To make a living, he accepted many kinds of jobs, including live performances and appearing in online movies.
However, after hearing about Wang Xing’s case, Douglas has become more selective. He recently turned down an opportunity to perform in Kunming, China, saying: “I was reluctant to give it up, but with the current situation, I had no choice but to let it go.”
Although he was almost scammed by a Thai, Douglas still believes that the ones who cause others harm are in the minority, adding that most Thai people are still very kind and friendly.
When asked if he’s worried about his safety in Thailand, Douglas said: “When you go to Thailand, you just have to be doubly careful, and that will greatly reduce the chance of anything bad happening.”
He advised others to be aware of their surroundings when travelling in Thailand, adding that “ladies should never travel there alone”. He also said it’s safer to travel in groups and to always keep in contact with family back home.
Photos: Chinapress, Baidu