Myanmar’s former junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is expected to travel to Thailand on Thursday for his first visit since taking office as a civilian president, according to reporting from both outlets. The trip is framed as an effort to re-engage with the region diplomatically after years of international isolation following the 2021 coup that toppled Myanmar’s elected government.
Min Aung Hlaing led the military takeover in 2021, which ousted Aung San Suu Kyi and helped trigger a wider civil conflict. The violence has resulted in large-scale deaths across multiple sides, with one account citing estimates of more than 100,000 fatalities. Min Aung Hlaing is installed as president in April after elections that democracy groups and Western governments describe as staged or a sham. The first Thailand visit comes as he seeks to broaden diplomatic ties and normalize Myanmar’s standing abroad while his leadership remains widely criticized.
