Son of Chaiyaphum senior officer kidnapped

A call centre scammer gang is suspected to be behind the kidnapping of the 17-year-old son of a senior officer in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum, the police said on Tuesday.

It is believed the victim is being held in Cambodia and the kidnappers have demanded 2 million baht as ransom, an officer at Muang Chaiyaphum police station said.

Chaithawat (last name withheld), secretary to Chaiyaphum mayor, alerted the police on Tuesday that his 17-year-old son was missing from the student dorm at a university in Pathum Thani’s Rangsit area, where he studies.

He said that his son called him via Line application at around 5pm, saying that he had been pushed into a taxi against his will, driven to an unknown location, and then forced to walk through a forested area to a building, where he was locked inside.

Chaithawat said after the conversation he received text messages from the kidnappers, ordering him to bring 2 million baht as a ransom for his son’s release.

Chaithawat added that the boy recently told his mother that he had been threatened by a group of men claiming to be police officers from Khlong Luang station in Pathum Thani province with a connection to call centre scammer gangs.

The police said the initial investigation indicated that the call was made from somewhere inside Cambodia.

Investigators at Muang Chaiyaphum police station said they would coordinate with Khlong Luang police station to investigate the case and find out where the victim was being held.