Myanmar military chief visits Bangkok as diplomatic offensive continues

After five years of isolation, Myanmar’s post-coup leadership is trying to boost its legitmacy.

Myanmar’s military chief has met Thailand’s top general in Bangkok during the former’s first international trip since assuming the role, as the post-coup leaders seek to boost their legitimacy.

Myanmar’s military had ousted the elected government during a 2021 coup and detained its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, prompting an ongoing civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to monitoring group Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED).

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The post-coup leadership was isolated for five years but has started a diplomatic offensive. Officials are touting deeply restricted elections staged about the start of 2026 as a return to normality, even as United Nations experts dismissed them as a “sham”.

Min Aung Hlaing, who led the coup, was sworn in as president of Myanmar in April, handing the office of military leader to Ye Win Oo.

Thai military chief Ukris Boontanondha met Oo on Thursday at a Bangkok hotel. The talks between them focused on cooperation on the nation’s 2,400km (1,500-mile) border, according to Bangkok.

The officials also discussed joint efforts to tackle the illicit drug trade and cyberscam networks as well as military cooperation on counterterrorism, training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The visit comes weeks after Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul welcomed Min Aung Hlaing to Bangkok earlier this month and stressed that his country wanted to end the war and restore peace.

Defending the decision to host the Myanmar officials, the Thai foreign minister said it’s “not about legitimacy; it’s about reality”.

The international community remains divided over how to deal with Myanmar since the elections.

Democracy watchdogs have referred to the vote as a charade to rebrand military rule while excluding Aung San Suu Kyi, sidelining her party and punishing dissenters with jail time.

However, Thailand and other neighbouring nations that share unavoidable border issues with Myanmar have used the polls as a cue to reset relations.