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.

The abduction of a young Chinese actor, who was trafficked from Thailand to Myanmar, prompted an unusually powerful public-pressure campaign and official actions.

BANGKOK: Thai authorities denied on Wednesday (Jan 22) there was an immediate plan to send back to China 48 Uyghurs held in the country's detention centres, after UN experts warned the group could face torture if they return.

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.

A group of Uyghurs who were detained in Thailand over a decade ago say that the Thai government is preparing to deport them to China, alarming activists who say the men are at risk of abuse and torture if they are sent back.

Thailand’s Prima Marine has added more product tankers to its orderbook with a new deal in China. The company, part of Nathalin Group, has inked six 2,499-dwt vessels at Ningbo Zhenhe Shipyard. A signing ceremony took place over the weekend.

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.

Officials from China, Myanmar, Thailand reached consensus on eradicating telecommunication fraud centres in Myanmar on Tuesday during a meeting in the Chinese city of Kunming, said China's national broadcaster.

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

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.

Dozens of men from the ethnic minority sought escape from repression in China a decade ago, but have been detained in Thailand ever since.