PATTAYA, Thailand – Immigration Police rescued a Chinese national held captive inside a white pickup truck parked outside a Chinese restaurant on Pattaya Second Road on June 27.

Mr. Fu, 32, recounted that the previous evening, he had met with Tian, a 38-year-old Chinese friend, and Pot, a Thai acquaintance, to address a gambling debt issue. Fu had brought clients to bet on football matches with Tian acting as the bookmaker. When the clients lost 24,000 yuan (approximately 120,000 baht) and failed to settle their debt, Tian demanded that Fu cover the losses.

Unable to meet the full amount, Fu was threatened with violence, including threats to sever his legs and kill him, and was intimidated with the prospect of being handed over to a criminal gang. With only 8,000 baht available, Fu transferred 7,000 baht to Tian, which proved insufficient to settle the debt. Consequently, Tian’s associates locked Fu inside the truck until law enforcement arrived and rescued him.

Following an investigation and questioning, police charged Tian with threatening behaviour, unlawful detention, and assault. He was promptly taken into custody and will face legal proceedings for his actions.