14-year-old Myanmar child lured online via Telegram in Chiang Mai found safe in Lopburi

A 14-year-old Myanmar child residing with his parents in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was lured and abducted online via Telegram and went missing. He was safely found on July 29 in a hotel in Lopburi province, thanks to the intervention and rescue efforts of the Thai police, according to information shared by family members on social media. The missing 14-year-old boy, Maung Swam Pyae Paing Soe, left his home in Chiang Mai around 9:20 AM on July 28, taking his passport, money, and gold jewelry. According to CCTV footage from the Chiang Mai intercity bus terminal, the child was seen purchasing a bus ticket and boarding a passenger bus. Subsequently, SIM location tracking indicated his whereabouts up to Uttaradit and Tak provinces. However, his location was lost thereafter, causing extreme concern for his family and the Thai police, who then sought urgent assistance on social media to find the missing child. According to the child's family members, the boy was psychologically manipulated through a Telegram group to create discord with his parents and was planned to leave home with money and gold from the house. Furthermore, investigations revealed that over 100,000 baht had been spent in a single day, suggesting a possible lure by Thai or human trafficking gangs, the family stated. Through the investigations conducted by the Thai police, family members, and local aid groups, the missing child, Maung Swam Pyae Paing Soe, was located in a hotel in Lopburi province, where the police conducted a raid and found the child safe on the afternoon of July 29. An individual who was with the child managed to escape. The child was handed over to the parents and his uncle after documentation at the Lopburi police station, and they have taken him back to Bangkok. Currently, the Thai police are continuing their investigation into the gang that lures and abducts children online in connection with this incident. The family members urge everyone to be extremely cautious and vigilant with social media and online usage. Photo: Ko Htet