An Australian website said that the wife of detained footballer Hakeem Al-Araibi has sent an emotional appeal to Thailand's Prime Minister urging him to help return her husbandd to his house in Australia.

Thailand's immigration chief has pledged a reversal of the country's notoriously harsh treatment of refugees following the global furore around a young Saudi woman's attempt to seek asylum, the Guardian newspaper reported.

Diplomat Nigel Gould-Daviesþ, fellow at Chatham House, posted a tweet in which he pointed out to statement of head of Thai immigration, Surachate Hakparn, after Rahaf Al-Qunun left Saudi Arabia to Canada, in which he said that Thailand will follow international norms on deportations.

Radio NPR said that the case of Rahaf Al-Qunun has highlighted Thailand's mixed record when it comes to asylum-seekers and refugees.

Radha Stirling, the founder of Detained in Dubai, said: “Great news that Thailand has allowed the UN to assess Rahaf rather than sending her back to the country from which she was seeking asylum. Thailand needs to allow Hakeem to return to Australia and stop Bahrain’s legal abuse.”