By The Diplomat | Created at 2026-08-07 17:51:58 | Updated at 2026-08-07 18:59:55
12 hours ago
Thailand has affirmed its intention to bring Myanmar back into the ASEAN fold, following a meeting between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the country’s military-appointed president, Min Aung Hlaing, in Bangkok yesterday.
The summit was the highlight of the former general’s two-day visit to Thailand, his first official visit to the country since he led a military coup in 2021.
After arriving in Bangkok, Min Aung Hlaing was given a red-carpet welcome by Anutin, who then hosted him for talks at Government House in Bangkok. During the visit, Min Aung Hlaing also attended an official dinner, met the leaders of both houses of the Thai parliament, and spoke at a Thai-Myanmar business forum in the Thai capital, before departing today.
In a joint statement issued late yesterday, Thailand “reaffirmed its commitment to supporting and continuing to work closely with Myanmar for Myanmar’s full and equal participation in ASEAN mechanisms and processes.” Myanmar in turn “expressed its appreciation for Thailand’s constructive role in facilitating the normalization of its relations with ASEAN.”
In the statement, the two countries said they agreed to “further deepen dialogue at all levels,” in the areas of security, trade, and environmental protection. They also expressed their “joint commitment to achieve a peaceful and stable Thailand–Myanmar border.”
The visit saw the signing of three bilateral deals between the two nations. As per Nikkei Asia, these included an agreement on Burmese migrant labor in Thailand and another setting up a joint working group to address river pollution from rare-earth mining. The two leaders also reportedly discussed ways to boost cross-border trade, including the resumption of trade over the Second Friendship Bridge connecting the Thai town of Mae Sot with Myawaddy in eastern Myanmar.
Thailand’s invitation to Min Aung Hlaing reflects its determination to bring Myanmar back in from the cold, after five years in which the country has been barred from ASEAN’s summits. The reason for its exclusion is its refusal to implement the Five-Point Consensus, ASEAN’s plan for managing Myanmar’s ramifying conflicts. Agreed in April 2021, the Consensus called for an immediate cessation of violence, access to humanitarian aid, and political dialogue involving “all parties” to the country’s conflict.
For several years, Thailand has advocated engagement with the military junta in Naypyidaw, arguing that this is necessary to address issues like border security and transnational crime. This effort has redoubled since Min Aung Hlaing’s new “civilian” government took office in April. Since then, Bangkok has advocated a policy of “calibrated engagement” with Myanmar, and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow has also called for Myanmar to return to the “ASEAN family.”
During his meeting with Anutin, Min Aung Hlaing pressed the case for normalization, asserting that his government, which took office in April, was focused on ending the interlocking conflicts that have raged since the 2021 coup.
“Myanmar has now reestablished itself on the path to democracy and is moving toward a better future,” he said. “As the new government, we have now begun working on national stability, peace, and national reconciliation.” Speaking at the Thai-Myanmar business forum, he told attendees that they could “invest with confidence” in Myanmar’s energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors.
Thailand’s invitation to Min Aung Hlaing has been roundly criticized by human rights advocates, who claim that it is undermining ASEAN’s efforts and helping the Myanmar military launder its international reputation. They have also pointed out that there has been no reduction in the frequency or severity of the military’s attacks on civilian populations since Min Aung Hlaing’s new government took office.
“Prime Minister Anutin should be ashamed to host Min Aung Hlaing, a murderous Myanmar military officer with the blood of countless Burmese on his hands,” Phil Robertson, the director of the rights group Asia Human Rights and Labour Advocates, said in a statement. “When is Thailand going to wake up and realize that Min Aung Hlaing and his military compatriots are the core problem in Myanmar – and never will be part of the solution?” Aung Zaw, the editor of The Irrawaddy, wrote this week that Thailand “should not lend legitimacy to the thuggish regime in Naypyidaw.”
However, at a press conference yesterday after the summit between Anutin and Min Aung Hlaing, Sihasak rejected accusations that the kingdom is according legitimacy to Min Aung Hlaing.
“It’s not about legitimacy, it’s about reality,” he said, according to the Straits Times. “We have problems that we face along the border, and at the same time, we have to be proactive in terms of helping Myanmar on the path of peace, stability.” He added, “And the best way to achieve that is to have talks with those who are in the position of power.”
In any event, junta propaganda accounts on X gloated about the welcome accorded Min Aung Hlaing. “In accordance with international diplomatic customs, at the airport, there was a red carpet reception and a salute from the honor guard,” one account wrote. This, along with the official welcome ceremony outside Government House, “strongly reinforces legitimacy and paves a smooth path for bilateral cooperation,” it added.
How all this will play into ASEAN’s efforts to resolve Myanmar’s conflict remains unclear. The 11-nation bloc continues to demand action to implement the Five-Point Consensus (as does Thailand), and ASEAN’s special envoy for Myanmar, Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said last month that Myanmar’s full reintegration with ASEAN was still “far off.”
At the same time, Min Aung Hlaing’s government has moved from implicit to full-throated rejection of the Five-Point Consensus. In a speech on July 31 marking his administration’s 100th day in office, Min Aung Hlaing declared that the Consensus was “not the consensus of all ASEAN member states” and that it was merely an annex attached to a statement by ASEAN’s then-chair, Brunei. This came after the military-dominated Union Parliament passed a resolution rejecting the Five-Point Consensus as an unwarranted interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs, stating that it “does not align with the current political developments in Myanmar.”
The contending positions – ASEAN’s adherence to the Five-Point Consensus and Naypyidaw’s rejection of the same – would seem to be a recipe for deadlock. It remains to be seen whether Thailand’s policy of “calibrated engagement” will offer an incentive for Myanmar to begin even token implementation of the Five-Point Consensus, or merely provide the junta with a path back to regional respectability.
