Thailand Immigration Bureau confirms Belarusian model left Thailand voluntarily, no signs of abduction

BANGKOK: The Thai Immigration Bureau has confirmed that Vera Krautsova, the 26-year-old Belarusian model whose death in Myanmar made international headlines, left Thailand voluntarily and showed no signs of abduction when she departed for Yangon last month.

The clarification came after British outlet Daily Mail reported that Vera had been lured to Thailand under false pretences before being taken across the border into Myanmar, where she was allegedly forced to work at a scam centre and later killed for her organs.

According to the report, Vera arrived in Bangkok in September for a modelling job but was deceived into travelling to Myanmar, where her passport and phone were confiscated. She was reportedly coerced into running romance scams, posing on dating websites to extort money from wealthy foreign men.

Daily Mail cited sources saying that after failing to meet her targets, Vera was beaten and went missing on October 4. She was later allegedly sold to an organ trafficking ring, tortured and killed. Her organs were harvested and her body burned to destroy evidence.

The gang then allegedly demanded US$500,000 (about 16 million baht) from her family for the return of her remains, but later refused to cooperate. Vera’s mother has pleaded for her daughter’s ashes and plans to travel to Myanmar to arrange the funeral.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pledged to provide full diplomatic assistance to the family in handling the legal and repatriation processes.

On October 21 2025, Pol Maj Gen Cherngron Rimphadee, Deputy Commissioner and spokesman for the Immigration Bureau, stated that Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyalug had ordered a thorough check of Vera’s travel records through the Biometric System.

The investigation found that Vera Krautsova, Belarusian national (BLR), entered Thailand on September 12 2025 at 12:41am via Suvarnabhumi Airport. She later departed Thailand on September 20 2025 at 7:20am, boarding Thai Airways flight TG301 bound for Yangon, Myanmar.

The Biometric System confirmed the traveller was the same person, as she passed through the Automatic Channel (ABC Gate) without the need for officer interaction. CCTV footage also verified that she was not under any duress during her departure.

“What happened after she arrived in Myanmar is beyond Thailand’s jurisdiction,” said Pol Maj Gen Cherngron, noting that the Immigration Bureau has already shared the entry and exit images with the Belarusian Consulate in Bangkok.

He emphasised that reports claiming the model was abducted in Thailand were false.

Pol Maj Gen Cherngron added that the Royal Thai Police, under Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, national police chief, and Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, deputy police chief and director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Centre, together with Pol Lt Gen Panumas Boonyalug, have implemented strict screening measures to prevent foreign nationals from being trafficked to neighbouring countries.

These include interviews and risk assessments at airports, recording accommodation details in the TDAC system, and coordination with the military and administrative officers at border checkpoints, particularly in Tak province.

Since the start of the year, Thai authorities have denied entry to more than 34,000 individuals deemed at risk of involvement in criminal or trafficking networks posing as tourists under the free-visa scheme. – The Nation/ANN