Pol Col Witsanu Apornpong, chief of Prakhon Chai Police Station, along with police officers, immigration and military intelligence officers, questioned the 16-year-old boy identified only as Sukai, after he leapt from a moving car along Highway 24 on the Nang Rang route, reports the Bangkok Post.
Upon reaching Prakhon Chai around half past midnight, Sukai immediately opened a car door and ran toward the police station. Footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the area captured the incident, as he was seen running along the road.
During questioning, the teenager told police via an interpreter that he was from Hubei province in China, and he had been persuaded by a Chinese acquaintance to work at a restaurant in Vietnam. However, he and 10 other friends were taken to Laos instead.
According to the Sukai’s statement, he and the others were taken to separate places upon arriving in Laos. He, a Chinese friend and two Thais were later led to cross the border to Thailand. A car was sent to pick them up, but thet did not know where the driver would take them. Upon seeing a signpost with the word “Police”, he decided to jump from the vehicle and ran to the police station to seek help. His friend dared not flee.
A police source said the Chinese friend could now be contacted after seeking help from police at Wang Chao station in Tak province. Sukai’s mother had contacted the Thai consulate in China to help send him back.
Police said there were no clear details in this case regarding whether Sukai and the others had been illegally smuggled to work in Thailand or had been coerced into working illegally, such as working for a phone scam gang.