A jailed gambling tycoon fighting extradition to China received "inhumane treatment" in a Thai prison after saying he was a Chinese spy, his lawyers have told Interpol, saying they fear for his life.

A video of Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been shared in Chinese-language social media posts that claim it shows Paetongtarn saying she is ready to rescue Chinese citizens from Myanmar if Beijing gives the order.

Authorities in Thailand on Wednesday denied there was an immediate plan to send back to China 48 Uyghurs held in the Southeast Asian country's detention centers after United Nations experts warned that the group could face torture if they return.

Thai authorities have denied any immediate plan to send 48 Uyghur refugees back to China after UN experts urged a stop. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim minority in China.

The abduction and cross-border rescue had all the makings of the kind of action script struggling Chinese actor Wang Xing had hoped to land - only not as a reality star.

Experts warn that China's strategy, focused on the Myanmar military, is failing to protect its own citizens while enabling criminal networks to thrive

A group of 48 ethnic minority Muslims who fled Chinese persecution have been held in Thailand for almost 11 years

BANGKOK : United Nations human rights experts have urged Thailand not to send 48 Uyghurs in its custody back to China, warning they are at risk of torture, ill-treatment and “irreparable harm” if returned.

Chinese nationals and travel operators who spoke to CNA said the reality on the ground is “very different” and urged travellers to look beyond sensational things being said online.

The AP’s vast network of sources and collaborative reporting led to the first report on detained Uyghurs in Thailand who face deportation and persecution

A jailed gambling tycoon fighting extradition to China received "inhumane treatment" in a Thai prison after saying he was a Chinese spy, his lawyers have told Interpol, saying they fear for his life.

US President Donald Trump's incoming secretary of state is among those calling for Thailand not to deport a group Uyghurs to China, where it is feared they would face persecution.