Myanmar military leader visits Thailand for re-engagement talks

Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing has arrived in Thailand for an official visit, marking a significant step in his efforts to end the international isolation imposed after his 2021 coup. The visit, which includes full honours, a red carpet welcome, an honour guard, and an official dinner with the Thai prime minister, signals a major shift in Bangkok's approach to the junta.

Thailand had previously kept Min Aung Hlaing at arm's length, insisting on de-escalation of violence and negotiations with the opposition before normalising ties. But with China already backing the junta and the military regime regaining territory lost during the civil war, Thailand has decided to break ranks with the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Thai government argues that its 2,500-kilometre border with Myanmar and pressing cross-border issues make continued isolation untenable. Critics say the visit legitimises a blood-stained dictatorship.

Ahead of the trip, the junta allowed a Red Cross team to visit the detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is 81 years old and has been held incommunicado for more than two years. Photographs of the meeting were released, widely seen as a proof-of-life demanded by Thailand to avoid embarrassment. Suu Kyi has been jailed on a series of spurious charges and remains a powerful symbol for opponents of military rule, though her role in any future peace process is likely to be largely symbolic.

Min Aung Hlaing has styled himself as a civilian president after a widely criticised election earlier this year. His military government has recovered much of the ground it lost in the early stages of the civil war, thanks in part to Chinese support. The visit to Thailand is expected to encourage other regional governments to follow suit, further eroding the diplomatic pressure on the junta. The conflict in Myanmar has killed thousands and wrecked the economy, with no sign of a negotiated settlement.