Thai, Myanmar military chiefs meet as post-coup thaw progresses

On Thursday, Myanmar's military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, met with Thailand's top general, Ukris Boontanondha, in Bangkok. This was Hlaing's first foreign trip since leading the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government, detaining its leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and sparking a civil war marked by alleged rights abuses. During the five-year post-coup isolation, Myanmar held deeply restricted polls around the start of 2026, which the military leader then assumed as the civilian presidency, handing military leadership to Ye Win Oo.

The Thai military chief met with Ye Win Oo at a hotel in Bangkok, where they posed for photographers alongside their delegations. The discussions focused on enhancing security cooperation along the 2,400-kilometre (1,500-mile) shared border, including joint efforts to combat illicit drugs, cyberscams, counterterrorism, training, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and addressing cross-border haze, forest fires, and river contamination.

Thai authorities presented Ye Win Oo with air quality monitoring devices, according to a Thai military statement.

Hlaing, a former spymaster for Myanmar's ruling junta, has been sanctioned by nations like the United States for his coup role. The ensuing civil war is estimated to have caused 100,000 deaths, with international reactions divided over Myanmar's democratic elections. While watchdogs criticize the polls as a charade to legitimize military rule while excluding Suu Kyi, Thailand considers the elections as a cue to reset relations.

The Thai government defends the decision to host Hlaing and Ye Win Oo, emphasizing reality over legitimacy. However, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar calls the move an ignominy, as it embraces a warlord. UN investigators also report increased aerial attacks on civilians by the military led by Ye Win Oo, with the UN's annual report documenting arbitrary detentions, torture, and sexual violence.