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.

By Larissa Liao, Kevin Krolicki and Poppy McPherson BEIJING/BANGKOK (Reuters) - 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.

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

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

At the same meeting, authorities from Myanmar, China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam agreed to arrest leaders of criminal syndicates, dismantle telecom fraud centres, and "make every effort" to coordinate the rescue of those trapped there, according to CCTV.

The surprise statement by new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging Thailand not to deport 40-plus Uyghurs who are currently being detained in Thailand to China has shone a much-needed spotlight on these illegal entrants.

Officials from China, Myanmar, Thailand reached a consensus on eradicating telecommunication fraud centers in Myanmar during a meeting on Tuesday, said China's national broadcaster.

The Southeast Asian nation is the third jurisdiction in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage after Taiwan and Nepal.

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.

China's open business environment and growing potential for international trade are attracting Thai enterprises that are eager to build closer trade bonds with China at the major international supply chain expo in July.