The 18-year-old Saudi woman who claimed she was abused by her family and feared for her life if deported back to her home country has been granted asylum in Canada and has left the country, said Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn.
Rahaf Mohammed al-Qunun was escorted by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials to Suvarnabhumi airport on Friday evening where she was placed in the care of Canadian authorities.
The handover was observed by Thai officials led by Pol Lt Gen Surachate.
Ms Qunun grabbed international attention last week when she locked herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room to resist being sent home to her family. She claimed she fled abuse from her family and wanted to seek asylum in Australia.
However, immigration police denied her entry, allegedly seized her passport and threatened to deport her after she arrived in Bangkok from Kuwait last Sunday.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate said the young woman has thanked Thailand for its temporary refuge and declined to meet her father and brother who came to Thailand to talk to her.
Meanwhile, Thai authorities are still waiting for an official request from Bahrain for the extradition of Hakeem al-Araibi, a 25-year-old former member of Bahrain's national football team, who was arrested here in late November when he arrived for holiday.
Interpol issued a red notice requested by Bahrain authorities over an alleged act of vandalism -- a charge he denies. The Bahraini was granted refugee status in Australia in 2017 after arriving there in 2014.
Chatchom Akapin, director of International Affairs Department, Office of the Attorney-General, said al-Araibi is being detained pending the extradition request.
He said the man will be freed if the request is not submitted within the 60 day deadline. He noted that normally Thai authorities do not seek to further detain suspects.
The court ordered al-Araibi be detained in December while Bahrain proceeds with its extradition request.
