Min Aung Hlaing visits Thailand to seek diplomatic re-engagement

Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is on his first visit to Thailand as the leader of a partial civilian military junta, an effort seen as an attempt to re-engage diplomatically in the international arena. Min Aung Hlaing overthrew the democratically elected government in a military coup in 2021, after which a civil war broke out in Myanmar, killing over 100,000 people, AFP reported. After the elections held in April 2026, Min Aung Hlaing was appointed as the leader of a partial civilian military junta, but democracy groups and Western countries have criticized the elections as a process carried out solely to rebuild the junta's image. Thailand is one of the countries leading efforts to rebuild relations with Myanmar, in addition to bilateral relations, and for Myanmar's re-engagement within ASEAN. Although ASEAN has excluded Myanmar's military leaders from summit meetings since the 2021 coup, the Myanmar junta's foreign minister attended an informal meeting held in Bangkok last month. Min Aung Hlaing has increased foreign trips after changing from military uniform to civilian attire, visiting India, key ally China, and ASEAN member Laos. Prior to his trip to Thailand, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest since the coup, was allowed to meet with an ICRC representative, marking the first time she has been allowed to meet a foreign representative. Myanmar observer Morgan Michaels said that if Myanmar can re-enter ASEAN, it could become a path towards normalizing relations with other countries, including Western nations. However, Myanmar analyst David Mathieson commented that the effort to re-enter ASEAN is primarily for Min Aung Hlaing to gain "status and recognition." Min Aung Hlaing was welcomed with an honor guard at Government House in Bangkok on August 6 and will hold a separate meeting with Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. In addition, he is expected to attend the Thailand-Myanmar Economic Forum and state banquets, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labor cooperation may be signed. However, human rights groups and critics have criticized the Thai government for officially welcoming the junta leader. On the one hand, Thailand has interests in rebuilding relations with Myanmar and needs to address issues such as the spillover of fighting from Myanmar across the border, refugee problems, online scam networks, and drug trafficking. Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said that Myanmar and Cambodia can do more to combat online scam networks, and this issue will be discussed during Min Aung Hlaing's visit.