Myanmar’s military chief Gen. Ye Win Oo held talks with Thailand’s top general on Thursday in his first foreign trip since taking the post, underscoring a steady thaw in relations between the two neighbours five years after Myanmar’s military seized power.

Ye Win Oo, who assumed command of Myanmar’s armed forces in March after long-time junta leader Min Aung Hlaing transitioned to the presidency, was formally welcomed in Bangkok by Gen. Ukris Boontanondha (also referred to as Ukrit Boontanon), Chief of Defence Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. The two sides met ahead of and during the ninth Thailand-Myanmar High-Level Committee (HLC) meeting.

The discussions focused on strengthening security cooperation along their 2,400-kilometre shared border, joint efforts against illicit drugs and cyberscam networks, military training and education exchanges, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Officials also addressed cross-border environmental challenges, including haze from forest fires, flooding, and river contamination. The Thai side presented air-quality monitoring devices as a gesture of practical cooperation.

Ye Win Oo, a former intelligence chief and close ally of Min Aung Hlaing, described the visit as an honour and expressed appreciation for Thailand’s humanitarian support following a major earthquake in Myanmar in March 2025. Thai officials welcomed the continued participation of Myanmar officers in Thai military training programmes.

Context of the diplomatic opening

Myanmar’s military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 2021 coup, triggering widespread resistance and a protracted civil conflict marked by severe human rights concerns. For years the post-coup leadership faced diplomatic isolation, including exclusion from most ASEAN high-level meetings.

That isolation has begun to ease. Restricted elections held around the start of 2026 were presented by the authorities as a step toward normality. Min Aung Hlaing subsequently assumed the presidency and handed the military command to Ye Win Oo. In early August, Min Aung Hlaing himself received a high-profile welcome in Bangkok from Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, during which Thailand reaffirmed support for Myanmar’s eventual full participation in ASEAN mechanisms.

Thursday’s military-level talks build directly on that engagement. Both countries have long maintained pragmatic security ties driven by shared border management needs, and Thai officials have advocated a “calibrated re-engagement” approach.

What was discussed

According to statements from the Thai military and Myanmar state media:

• Enhancing coordination on border stability and preventing illegal cross-border activities.
• Expanding military education and training exchanges.
• Joint responses to transnational crime, including drug trafficking and online scam operations.
• Cooperation on natural resources, the environment, and disaster response.

The visit is Ye Win Oo’s first overseas trip in his new role and forms part of a broader diplomatic push by Myanmar’s leadership to rebuild regional ties.

While Western governments and rights groups continue to criticise the Myanmar military’s record and the limited nature of the recent elections, neighbouring countries — particularly Thailand — have prioritised practical cooperation on immediate cross-border issues. Analysts say the successive high-level visits signal that Bangkok is prepared to deepen engagement as part of its effort to stabilise the frontier and gradually normalise Myanmar’s place in regional forums.