Police in Muang district of Kamphaeng Phet province have taken two men into custody following the abduction of a female Chinese tourist, who was tricked into a car in Bangkok and driven towards Mae Sot district in Tak province.
As the suspects sped through a police checkpoint in Kamphaeng Phet, their female captive shouted for help.
With police on their tail, the driver eventually abandoned the victim on the roadside. Police gave chase and fired at the getaway vehicle's tires, forcing the kidnappers to abandon the car and flee into nearby woods.
Officers managed to apprehend two suspects at the scene, while two others escaped.
According to an initial investigation, the victim was on her way to Singapore, stopping in Thailand first for a quick holiday.
After checking into a hotel in Bangkok, she called a person believed to be a tour guide. A sedan arrived at her hotel to pick her up. The car then stopped nearby to pick up three additional men, alerting the victim that she had been lured into a trap.
When she resisted and attempted to leave the car, the suspects struck her in the mouth with an elbow and bound her hands with cable ties.
As the car approached a police checkpoint in Kamphaeng Phet, she screamed for help.
After being left on the roadside, the victim sought assistance from local residents, who alerted the police. She was subsequently taken to Kamphaeng Phet Hospital for medical evaluation and treatment of her injuries.
Pol. Maj. Suwich Pit-on, deputy superintendent of Muang Kamphaeng Phet station, stated that the driver claimed he had been hired for 10,000 baht to pick up the Chinese woman and denied involvement in the abduction plot.
Authorities report that the group was transporting the victim to Mae Sot district in Tak. The two suspects in custody are residents of Mae Sot. The identities of the two fugitives are known and they are being actively pursued.
