Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing Visits Thailand in Bid to Rebuild Regional Ties
Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Bangkok on Thursday for his first visit to Thailand since assuming office as the country’s civilian leader, as Naypyidaw seeks to improve diplomatic ties and regain broader regional acceptance.
Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a 2021 military coup that overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, plunging Myanmar into a civil conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. He became president in April following elections widely criticised by Western governments and democracy observers as lacking credibility.
Push for ASEAN Re-engagement
Thailand has emerged as a key advocate for re-engaging Myanmar, both bilaterally and within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which suspended the country’s top political leadership from high-level summits after the coup.
Although Myanmar remains excluded from ASEAN leaders’ meetings, its foreign minister participated in an informal regional meeting in Bangkok last month, signalling a possible thaw in relations.
Since becoming president, Min Aung Hlaing has stepped up diplomatic outreach, visiting India, China and Laos as part of efforts to end Myanmar’s international isolation.
Ahead of his Thailand visit, detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to meet a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross—the first known meeting between her and a foreign official since her detention in 2021.
Thailand Seeks Cooperation on Border Security
According to Thai officials, Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to hold talks with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, attend a business forum and participate in an official state dinner. The two countries are also expected to sign a labour cooperation agreement.
Thailand is expected to raise concerns over cross-border cybercrime, online scam networks and drug trafficking, issues that have intensified along the Myanmar-Thailand border amid the ongoing conflict.
Bangkok has also been dealing with refugee inflows as fighting between Myanmar’s military and armed resistance groups continues near the frontier.
Criticism Over Diplomatic Outreach
The visit has drawn criticism from human rights groups and Myanmar observers, who argue that welcoming Min Aung Hlaing risks legitimising a government that remains under Western sanctions and faces international legal scrutiny.
Analysts say Myanmar’s efforts to restore ties with ASEAN are aimed at improving its international standing. However, they note that the country’s continued rejection of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus—a peace roadmap calling for dialogue with all stakeholders—remains a major obstacle to full regional reintegration.
Even so, Thailand has signalled its willingness to maintain engagement with Myanmar, arguing that cooperation is necessary to address shared security, humanitarian and economic challenges along the two countries’ long and porous border.
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