BANGKOK, Aug 6 – Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing visited Thailand on Thursday for a two-day official trip that Thai authorities said marks a new chapter in bilateral relations following Myanmar’s recent general election.
The visit by the coup leader-turned-president also carries broader diplomatic significance as Myanmar’s military-backed government seeks to deepen engagement with regional partners and improve its international standing.
Min Aung Hlaing received a ceremonial welcome with an honor guard at Thailand’s Government House before holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
According to Thai officials, discussions between the two leaders focused on cross-border issues, including transnational crime, scam syndicates operating along the Thailand-Myanmar border, narcotics trafficking, transboundary river pollution, labor cooperation and economic collaboration.
The two sides also signed several memorandums of understanding, including one on labor cooperation.
The Myanmar president is also scheduled to meet with members of the Thai-Myanmar business community.
Ahead of the trip, Myanmar released photographs showing former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi meeting a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross, a move widely viewed as signaling the leadership’s intention to gradually reengage with the international community.
Myanmar has been sidelined from key summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations since the 2021 military coup due to a lack of progress in implementing the bloc’s plan to address the country’s political crisis, which calls in part for a cessation of violence and dialogue among all parties.
The Thailand visit follows Min Aung Hlaing’s trip to Laos in July, his first official visit to a fellow ASEAN member since becoming president following Myanmar’s general election held between December and January. He also visited India and China in May and June.
His previous visit to Thailand was in April 2025, when he attended the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Summit in Bangkok.
