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.

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.

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.

Thai authorities denied Wednesday there was an immediate plan to send back to China 48 Uyghurs held in the country's detention centres.

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.

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.

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.

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

Thailand has long been known as a haven for LGBTQ+ communities. It is only the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, behind Taiwan in 2019 and Nepal in 2023.