A suspected Chinese triad gangster was rescued after getting stuck in a 30ft well for three days in Thailand.

The man - believed to escaped from Myanmar's notorious Golden Triangle crime hub - reportedly slipped through the border into Tak province. He claimed he hid inside the well because he 'was being chased' but found he could not climb up the concrete shaft.

Soldiers from the 433rd Battalion discovered the Chinese national while patrolling the area on November 24 evening.

Footage shows rescuers rappelling down the 33ft (10m) dry well and hoisting the exhausted man, who suffered numerous injuries and a broken wrist, to safety. He was taken to the Mae Sot hospital for treatment.

General Narit Thawornwong, commander of the drug prevention and suppression unit at Thailand's northern border, said the suspect was being interrogated over his links to Myanmar.

The region has become a hub for drug production involving Chinese gangs working closely with corrupt officials in Myanmar, where civil war has divided the county.

The police chief added: 'The Chinese suspect entered the country illegally. He will be interrogated first to yield any information before the case against him continues.'

Locals had reported hearing strange noises coming from the area three days ago.

The man allegedly confessed he had entered Thailand illegally. He claimed he was running through the forest but was injured when he plunged into the well.

Immigration police were investigating the incident. Authorities said the well will also be covered.

Bloomberg citing data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that a record 169 tonnes of methamphetamine was seized in SEA last year, 82 per cent of which came from the Golden Triangle - a hotbed of criminal activity where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet.

At the heart of the Golden Triangle lies the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ), run by notorious Chinese business tycoon and suspected crime boss Zhao Wei in the Chinese vassal state Laos. Communist chiefs are said to turn a Nelsonian eye to his wrongdoing.

In 2007, Zhao brokered a deal with the Laos government and obtained a 99-year lease to build the zone on a 39-square mile patch of impoverished Bokeo province.

The Chinese businessman claims to be a benefactor as he touts the GTSEZ as a tourist and economic hub designed to bring more income and investments into the country. However, both local and international law enforcement agencies believe it is a front for organised crime, including human trafficking, drug trafficking, and call-centre scams.