A 20-year-old college girl from central China's Hunan Province lost contact with her parents during her trip to Thailand, and was later found dead on a beach in Thailand's red-light district on Aug. 12, 2015.

Zhang Chunrong, 20 years old, was a college girl from central China's Hunan Province. She decided to take a trip to Thailand this summer because "there would be no time to travel anymore after she gets a job," Zhang's mother said.

Zhang Chunrong.[File photo]

Although she was worried about her daughter's safety, Zhang's mother Jing let her go because Zhang was an independent, careful grown-up. Zhang also promised her mother that she would keep in touch via Wechat, a mobile chat app available worldwide.

Zhang arrived at Thailand on Aug. 3, 2015. However, she lost contact with her parents almost immediately after arrival.

Jing received a call from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand three days later, telling her that her daughter has been found dead on a beach in Pattaya.

Heart-broken and confused, Jing wondered how her daughter ended up in Thailand's famous red-light district Pattaya instead of Bangkok.

After careful investigation, Mrs. Jing found that her daughter met a friend in Thailand and joined her in an online purchasing agency. Zhang opened an online shop about half a year ago, and this "friend of hers" has been sending Thai products ever since.

However, Zhang's friend stopped sending her goods unless "she took a field trip to Thailand" about two months ago. Jing suspects that it was a trap that lured her daughter to Thailand. Thai police has begun an investigation into the case.

Apart from the inexplicable invitation from her daughter's friend, Jing also noticed some abnormalities. "Zhang cancelled her flight and hotel reservation in Bangkok on Aug. 2," said Mrs. Jing. "She also left the tour group, and flew to Thailand by herself."

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