Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing to make official visit to Thailand next month

Myanmar's leader Min Aung Hlaing will make an official visit to Thailand next month, according to a report from Japanese media outlet Kyodo News. The trip, expected in early August, would mark his second visit to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state since assuming the presidency.

Background of the Visit

Citing "ASEAN sources," Kyodo News reported that the former general—who led the 2021 military coup—has been actively working to normalize his new government's relations with ASEAN. The sources "did not provide the detailed schedule of his visit to Thailand."

Since late 2021, ASEAN has barred Myanmar's post-coup regime from attending its summits, citing insufficient efforts to implement the Five-Point Consensus—the bloc's framework for resolving the country's conflict.

Recent Diplomatic Efforts

Since his election as president in April, Min Aung Hlaing has intensified efforts to normalize ties with external partners. He announced that his new "civilian" administration intended to "enhance international relations and strive to restore normal relations" with the 11-nation bloc.

Key recent trips include:

• Laos (July 3–5): His first official visit to an ASEAN member state since taking office. He met with President Thongloun Sisoulith and signed several agreements, including one on space technology cooperation. The visit followed a trip to Naypyidaw by Lao Foreign Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane.
• India and China (June): High-profile official visits to both countries, which have effectively recognized the legitimacy of his military-backed administration.

Thailand's Role in ASEAN Engagement

Thailand has been a key advocate for reengaging with Myanmar since late 2024, when it hosted an "informal consultation" in Bangkok. That meeting was attended by foreign ministers and high-level representatives from Myanmar's military junta and five neighboring countries: Laos, China, India, Bangladesh, and Thailand.

Thailand also allowed Min Aung Hlaing to visit for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit in April 2025.

In February, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated that his country wanted "to be a bridge connecting Myanmar back to ASEAN."

On Sunday, Thailand hosted and helped broker an "informal meeting" between Myanmar Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe and his ASEAN counterparts in Bangkok—the first such meeting since the coup.

Stance on the Five-Point Consensus

Following Sunday's meeting, Sihasak reaffirmed that Thailand, like ASEAN as a whole, still adheres to the Five-Point Consensus, which calls for:

• An immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar
• Inclusive dialogue featuring "all parties" to the country's intersecting conflicts

"This process of engagement does not mean any change in our basic position as reflected in the Five-Point Consensus, but it does mean achieving towards engagement, listening, and being realistic about what can be achieved," he said, as reported by Reuters.

Myanmar's Growing Opposition

Meanwhile, Naypyidaw's new government has toughened its stance against the Five-Point Consensus and grown more vocal about its continued exclusion from ASEAN. Last week, the parliament passed a motion rejecting the Consensus as a form of interference inconsistent with the country's "political reality."

Regime propaganda accounts on social media have echoed this view. The Views of Myanmar account on X stated: "Until ASEAN respects its foundational principle of non-interference and acknowledges the realities surrounding Myanmar's newly elected government, no progress can be made. Myanmar will no longer accept a rigid, one-sided enforcement of the Five-Point Statement."

Challenges Ahead

With several ASEAN member states—including Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore—advocating a harder line on Myanmar, normalization is unlikely without significant concessions or actions by Naypyidaw.

Min Aung Hlaing's upcoming trip to Thailand is expected to include discussions on:

• Border security
• Efforts to combat transnational crime
• Possible steps Myanmar's new government might take to advance normalization with ASEAN

Whether Myanmar is willing to make the concessions necessary to convince all ASEAN member states to bring it back into the fold remains unclear.