Pasco Vale refugee footballer Hakeem Alaraibi is being detained in Thailand at the request of the Bahrain government.
Mr Alaraibi was granted refugee travel documents from the Australian government to holiday in Bangkok with his wife.
As he was preparing to return to Australia, the Bahraini courts issued an extradition order for vandalising a police station - a crime Mr Alaraibi says he was tortured at length over.
Human rights watch says it will be a test of Thailand’s commitment to respect human rights, as Mr Alaraibi has recognised asylum seeker status.