Wang Xing was living in fear. His head had been shaved. He couldn’t sleep and was in a strange place where his captors were forcing him to type – the first phase of training for an unwanted role.

The recent high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor in Thailand has dented the country’s appeal among tourists just weeks before China’s biggest annual holiday.

Thai police said Wang was trafficked across the Thai-Myanmar border and held captive at KK Park in Myawaddy, which is notorious for its illegal scam operations

Thailand's tourism sector is grappling with a surge in hotel and flight cancelations from Chinese tourists following the high-profile abduction of actor Wang Xing, raising concerns about the country's recovery efforts.