Australian economist Sean Turnell is due to arrive home after 650 days spent in a Myanmar prison.

Professor Turnell landed in Bangkok late on Thursday evening before getting an overnight flight.

He was arrested in early 2021 and sentenced to three years’ jail in September for “violating the country’s official state secrets act”.

On Thursday, under an amnesty covering close to 6000 prisoners to celebrate Myanmar’s National Victory Day, Prof Turnell was freed.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is in Bangkok for the APEC summit, spoke to Professor Turnell over the phone and said he was in “amazingly good spirits”.

The 58-year-old, who lives in Mr Albanese’s electorate, was even making jokes and apologised for not voting in the election.

Mr Albanese reassured him that he would not be fined.

Professor Turnell also told Mr Albanese “people have been wonderful” and wanted to thank Australians for their support.

“He’s a remarkable man and he was (in Myanmar) doing his job as an economic policy adviser. Nothing more, Nothing less,” Mr Albanese said in Bangkok.

“He’s a proud Australian and today I think we should all be proud of him.”

Professor Turnell told Mr Albanese while he had been in prison, the Australian embassy in Myanmar would drop off food hampers in tote bags emblazoned with the Australian crest.

“He would put the tote bags where the bars were on the cell … so both he and the guards who were detaining him could see the Australian crest and he could keep that optimism,” Mr Albanese said.

“The Australian crest, of course, with the kangaroo and emu that don’t go backwards.”

The prime minister thanked leaders of ASEAN nations for their advocacy and asked for Prof Turnell’s privacy to be respected upon his return home.

“I’m sure I speak for all Australians when I send Professor Turnell our very best wishes,” Mr Albanese said.

The Australian chargés d’affaires is travelling with Prof Turnell who was provided with health support when he arrived in Bangkok.

Professor Turnell was working as an adviser to ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi when arrested in 2021 after the military seized power in a coup and has continuously denied he committed any crime.

Australian officials and media were locked out of his trial.

Amnesty International Australia director Tim O’Connor said Myanmar’s military rule had repeatedly jailed people not guilty of any crime.

Professor Turnell was one of four international prisoners freed on Thursday, including Japanese filmmaker Toru Kubota, ex-British diplomat Vicky Bowman and American Kyaw Htay Oo, as well as 11 local Myanmar celebrities.

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said it was important to remember thousands of political prisoners remain in the country’s jails.

“This is a game the Myanmar generals have been playing for a very long time,” former Thailand foreign affairs minister Kasit Piromya said.

“In the midst of continuous atrocities, from time to time they make an apparent gesture of goodwill, minor in comparison with the crimes they commit on a daily basis.

“No one should fall for this trick. The global community should not be fooled into thinking that Min Aung Hlaing and his henchmen have changed their ways.”

Professor Turnell holds an honorary position in the Department of Economics at Sydney’s Macquarie University.

Sean Turnell’s wife ‘overwhelmed with joy at the news

Professor Turnell’s wife, Ha Vu, said on Friday she was thankful to all of those who had advocated for his release, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong and others in the Australian government.

“I am overwhelmed with joy at the news that my beloved husband, Sean, is coming home,” she said in a statement.

“After nearly 22 months apart, our priority right now is to spend time together as a family.”