The government is prepared to give the Saudi woman stuck in Bangkok asylum but only if she passes character and security checks and applies for a visa from Thailand, The Australian reports.
Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun had planned to enter Australia on a tourist visa and seek asylum before she was detained by Thai authorities.
A government source told the paper Ms Alqunun would be refused entry to Australia on a tourist visa because it's not her real reason for entering the country.
However, Immigration Minister David Coleman is "very likely" to grant asylum if the 18-year-old passes all checks.
Ms Alqunun is currently in the care of United Nations officials who say it will take about five days to process her request for assistance after she said she feared her family would kill her if she were sent home.
Meanwhile, her father and brother arrived in Bangkok on Tuesday evening and have asked to see Ms Alqunun. However, Thai immigration chief Surachate Hakpan said the men would have to wait to learn whether the UN's refugee agency would allow them to.
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