Foreign Wife Seeks Help to Leave Abusive Husband in China
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A foreign woman married to a Chinese man claims that she was held captive in Beijing by her abusive husband for three years.
The 31-year-old, Nongnuch Duangnate from Thailand, said she has sought help from Thailand and Chinese authorities after escaping from the nightmarish marriage but was told that she needs to pay 20,360 yuan to leave the country.
Her parents who live in Thailand said their daughter divorced her Thai husband and relocated to Pattaya where she worked as a massage therapist.
In 2019, she met a Chinese man surnamed Jin through a mutual acquaintance. The two developed a romantic relationship and later tied the knot that very same year.
They relocated to Beijing soon after their marriage. However, two months later, Nongnuch told her parents that she was suffering domestic abuse at the hands of her husband and was trying to leave him.
She reportedly fled from her husband's residence and filed a complaint with the local police.
After mediation by the local police, the husband took her back to their home but he confiscated her passport and restricted her from leaving the house.
She claims that she has endured more physical assault ever since and was forbidden from contacting her friends, as well as her parents who are in Thailand.
Her parents contacted the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs after not hearing from their daughter for a long time. Officers from the ministry visited Nongnuch at her husband's residence and helped her communicate with her parents and reporters who were concerned about her welfare.
Not long after that, she escaped from the house again and traveled to Shanghai where she lived with her friend. She then found a job and worked in Shanghai for six months.
She told reporters that during all the months of work in the city, she was only able to save about 600 to 700 yuan.
“After that, I decided to contact the Consulate General of Royal Thai in Shanghai.” Said Nongnuch.
“The consulate allowed me to stay with them but later sent me back to the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing because my visa was expired, and the place is pretty close to the husband’s house.
"The authorities told me that I need about 100,000 baht to be able to return back home. If not, they would send me back to the husband. I do not have that much money. I hope the Thai authorities would help me with this. I promise that I will work hard to pay back the cost if I can go back home.”
The Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured her parents that they are working with their Chinese counterparts to arrange for the paperwork so she can return home safely.
Amnat Phalapleewan, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs, Protection and Welfare of Thai Nationals Abroad, said Nongnuch, who is considered a Thai person in need abroad under regulations, will be afforded the assistance.
The department has already sent a letter to Nongnuch’s family explaining the situation and stating that it is in contact with the Chinese authorities to obtain the necessary travel documents.
“The Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing and the Thai Consulate General in Shanghai have continuously supported Nongnuch from 2019 to 2020 until the family reaches an agreement. If she wants to borrow money to return to Thailand, she can do so according to the regulations and repayment can be made later,” Amnat said.
*The opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author.*
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