Manhunt Underway for Client Who Bound and Robbed Chinese Broker in Pattaya

A late-night house viewing in Pattaya ended with a Chinese real-estate broker bound, bruised and robbed, and police now hunting for her countryman who vanished after a bungled getaway.

Quick glance at the key details

• Suspect identified: Gong Gaopeng, 30, now faces an arrest warrant for unlawful detention and robbery.

• Victim: Yang Wang, 35, a broker catering to Chinese buyers in Pattaya’s booming property market.

• Losses: ฿31,400 siphoned via mobile transfer plus a traumatising ordeal inside her own Mercedes-Benz.

• Location: Zensiri estate, Nong Prue – one of numerous gated developments marketing homes to foreign buyers.

Why this rattles Pattaya’s property scene

In recent years, Chinese investors have become the dominant foreign buyers in Chon Buri, drawn by new condominiums, international schools and the Eastern Economic Corridor. Agents say viewings after sunset are common—customers often land on evening flights from Guangzhou or Shanghai and insist on seeing stock immediately. Sunday’s incident, however, highlights security gaps in private estates and the legal grey area brokers face when meeting clients they have known only through WeChat.

A carefully scripted meeting that turned violent

Police say the suspect first contacted Ms Yang on Thursday through her agency’s corporate account, posing as a serious buyer for a ฿3 M modern townhouse. They met in a city-centre mall Saturday to build trust, then arranged a follow-up walk-through the next night. Once inside the sprawling estate, Gong allegedly pressed a pair of scissors against her waist, ordering her to drive deeper into an unlit service lane. There he used industrial adhesive tape to immobilise her "from head to toes", according to the complaint.

Digital fingerprints left behind

Investigators have traced a 6,996-yuan transfer made from Ms Yang’s mobile banking app moments after the assault. Because the transaction passed through China-based systems, Thai police have requested assistance from a liaison unit that already cooperates on online gambling probes. Immigration records show Gong entered Thailand on a tourist visa last month, giving authorities a narrow window to intercept him before his permitted stay lapses.

Witnesses, wounds and the escape on foot

An estate security volunteer who approached the parked Mercedes inadvertently disrupted the crime. Startled, the suspect reportedly rammed a perimeter fence while fleeing with the victim still taped inside; the collision set off alarms that summoned guards and neighbours. Gong then abandoned the luxury car and disappeared through a drainage corridor linking to Sukhumvit Road. Responders freed Ms Yang, who suffered ligature marks and mild concussion. “She cannot sleep without a colleague present,” the colleague, identifying herself only as Dear, told reporters.

Next legal steps

The Pattaya Provincial Court signed the arrest warrant late Monday, empowering police to raid suspected hideouts and seize any WeChat chat logs, CCTV clips and passport copies tied to the case. If caught, Gong could face up to 10 years for robbery by force and a further term for unlawful detention, lawyers note. Diplomatic channels may be activated should he cross borders.

Staying safe: advice for brokers and buyers in Thailand

• Verify identities with passport scans and real-time video calls before in-person viewings.

• Insist on daylight appointments or bring a colleague after dark.

• Enable emergency geolocation sharing on popular Chinese apps; Thailand’s tourist police accept pings from WeChat’s SOS feature.

• Keep two-factor authentication on mobile banking to block forced transfers.

Real-estate associations in Chon Buri plan to circulate new night-time viewing guidelines by the end of the month—another sign that even in Thailand’s friendliest resort town, caution may now be as essential as a beachfront view.