A Myanmar model who took refuge in Thailand after speaking out against the military coup in her homeland has been denied entry after a trip abroad and detained at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Han Lay, Miss Grand International Myanmar 2020, was returning to Thailand from Vietnam and arrived at the airport on Wednesday afternoon.

An immigration officer spotted an irregularity on Han Lay’s passport, so she was denied entry.

Her manager had said that Han Lay, also known Thaw Nandar Aung, was the subject of an Interpol notice but this could not be confirmed.

A source said Han Lay’s passport might have been revoked by Myanmar's military junta, hence the irregularity and her inability to enter Thailand.

She will be sent back to Vietnam or she can fly to an alternative destination subject to approval by the airline she flew with.

Han Lay, 23, captured international attention last year with a moving speech at the Miss Grand International pageant in Bangkok, where she called for urgent help for Myanmar’s people.

An arrest warrant was reportedly issued against her by the Myanmar military afterward. At the time she said she was in contact with her family and that they were safe. She had been living in Thailand ever since.

Myanmar has been in crisis since a coup in February last year triggered protests that the military suppressed with lethal force and thousands of arrests.