A woman from Thailand who earlier this year claimed that she was held captive by Chinese nationals in Cambodia for the purposes of collecting her blood and that they intended to harvest her organs was sentenced to six months in prison by the Thai courts on March 21, according to Thai media outlet Thaiger.
According to the report, the woman – identified as Areeya Komkratok, 25 – told police that she and seven other Thai nationals were tricked into working illegally in Cambodia for a Chinese gang.
Komkratok then told the Thai police that while in Cambodia her blood was being collected by a group of “rich Chinese people” who also intended to harvest her organs.
She also created Facebook and other online accounts in order to solicit donations from the public in order to go back to Thailand when she was already there.
Thaiger quoted Thai national police chief Roy Ingkapairote as saying that Komkratok had fabricated the story in order to get emergency assistance to be able to return to Thailand.
“Her false testimony affected the positive relationship enjoyed between Cambodia and Thailand,” Roy Ingkapairote was quoted as saying.
According to the Cambodian police, Komkratok and seven other Thai nationals were sent back to Thailand from Cambodia on March 9.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also refuted Komkratok’s claims in earlier statements made to the Thai media.
“Now the truth is revealed. She fabricated her story and lied to the police. Her lies are not only a criminal offence – they affected the honour and dignity of our people and our officials as well as the relationship between Cambodia and Thailand,” ministry spokesman Chum Sounry told The Post on March 22.
