Refugee Bahraini footballer boards plane leaving Thailand for Australia - Reuters witness

FILED PHOTO: Jailed Bahraini footballer Hakeem Al Araibi leaves Thailand's Criminal Court, in Bangkok, Thailand February 4, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A refugee Bahraini footballer with residency status in Australia boarded a plane in Thailand early on Tuesday that would fly directly to Melbourne, where he has lived since 2014 and plays for a local football club.

Hakeem Al Araibi, 25, boarded a Thai Airways flight at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport shortly after midnight, according to a Reuters witness. He was seen talking happily as he walked past the gate to board his plane.