The remains of missing Chinese TikToker Yan Ruimin have been found outside Bangkok, and Thai police believe she was murdered. Yan, a 38-year-old social media influencer, arrived in Thailand from Malaysia on June 26 and was reported missing on July 12. A friend last heard from her on June 30. Police discovered her dismembered body in Chachoengsao, about 50 kilometers east of Bangkok.
Authorities are searching for Ma Qingyan, a 32-year-old Chinese man who left Thailand for Hong Kong. Ma is believed to have met Yan on July 1, the day she was murdered. They were seen together in Bangkok, and evidence suggests Ma drove a rental car out of the city, stopping multiple times. He reportedly burned documents and other debris, including a suitcase believed to belong to Yan, near Chachoengsao. Ma returned the rental car on July 3 and left for Hong Kong, then Macao. Blood was found in the car and his hotel room.
Yan’s WeChat Pay account was used in Macao between July 4 and July 6, although there was no record of her leaving Thailand. One of Yan’s relatives claimed to have received a ransom demand for 5 million Thai baht (approximately $138,000) from Ma.
Police are coordinating with forensic officers to confirm the identity of the body parts through DNA tests. They are working to have Ma arrested and brought back to Thailand for questioning. Yan’s disappearance is not currently linked to a crime syndicate, according to MG Noppasin of the Thai Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Yan Ruimin was active on social media, including TikTok and Instagram, where she had a significant following. Her presence on these platforms highlighted her engaging personality and widespread influence. Yan’s last post on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, where she had around 11,000 followers, was in May, showing her partying in Macao. Several comments on her page expressed condolences, with one noting the tragic nature of targeting fellow Chinese nationals.
This incident involving Yan Ruimin, the missing influencer, follows a series of kidnappings involving Chinese tourists in Thailand and the Philippines. In June, a Chinese woman was found in a Bangkok mall after being kidnapped for a ransom. In April, a Chinese student from Australia was rescued from a kidnapping gang in Thailand. Last month, a Chinese national and a Chinese-American were kidnapped and killed in the Philippines.
The tragic news of Yan Ruimin dead has shocked her followers and the broader online community, raising concerns about the safety of influencers and tourists abroad. The investigation continues as authorities work to bring justice for Yan and her family.
