Photo from the Weibo account of Han Shaojie's sister

A 34-year-old Chinese photographer who went missing in Thailand has returned safely to China, his sister said in a social media post on Sunday. The case drew widespread attention in recent days after his sister published an online missing-person notice saying he had lost contact with his family after arriving in Bangkok for a photography assignment.

According to the notice, Han Shaojie, a 34-year-old photographer from Beijing, traveled to Thailand on October 5 at a friend's invitation for a photography assignment and lost contact with his family around noon that day. His family and friends appealed to the public for information, hoping for his safe return.

The notice was posted by an account named "Looking for My Younger Brother" and included a video in which the poster explained the situation.

The case subsequently drew attention from Chinese internet users. Han's sister told media previously that her younger brother previously worked as a photographer for a documentary program at a well-known television station, but his latest assignment in Thailand was unrelated to his former employer, according to Jimu News.

He received a job offer from a friend, who offered to pay 4,000 to 5,000 yuan a day for filming in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The six-day trip was to include four days of work, the report said.

He arrived in Bangkok in the early hours of October 5 and later told his family he had met up with his friend. At 7 am local time that day, he sent his family the location of a hotel near the airport. They had their last video call at noon, during which Han was eating near the hotel. He lost contact with his family after the call, Jimu News reported.

On October 6, Han's sister and other family members traveled to Bangkok. They reported him missing to local police the following day and received a case receipt, while also filing a report with police in his hometown. 

On October 7, the family received a WeChat voice message from Han in which he said he had fallen asleep in an unlicensed vehicle and, upon waking, found that all his belongings had been robbed. He said he had been trafficked, did not know his exact location and had been restricted from using his phone, per the report.

On the next day, the family received another voice call from someone whose voice sounded like Han's. The caller asked the family to speak Mandarin and demanded about 150,000 yuan, along with an unspecified additional fee for rescue and repatriation. The caller also warned them not to file a police report, saying, "The more trouble you make, the more I'll suffer."

Han's sister said on Sunday that he had safely returned to China and the family was finally reunited. She described the six days as "a nightmare" and thanked the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, Chinese and Thai police, media outlets, and members of the public who helped share the notice.

Global Times