The Thai Government’s Myanmar Gambit Could Backfire on ASEAN

Bangkok’s recent campaign of diplomatic outreach undermines the bloc’s collective approach to the country’s crisis.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul shakes hands with Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 6, 2026.

On August 6, Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul rolled out the red carpet for Myanmar’s military-appointed leader Min Aung Hlaing. During the two-day visit, Anutin pledged to work with Myanmar to eventually reintegrate the country into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which has excluded it from its summits since late 2021. The two countries also signed three memoranda of understanding in labor, water, and space cooperation during the visit. Min Aung Hlaing also visited the Thai parliament and invited Thai business leaders to invest in the war-torn country.

The invitation to Min Aung Hlaing was opposed by Thai civil societies and activist networks. Most notable is the protest by a Thai MP who shouted calls for peace and humanity during his appearance in the parliament. For the junta leader, the trip served as a major diplomatic win due to the relative diplomatic isolation that he has faced since the military coup of 2021.

Obviously, Thailand is the foreign country most directly impacted by Myanmar’s civil war, from massive inflow of legal and illegal migrants into the country to cross-border crime and scam networks. Thus, it is understandable that Thailand would want to work to reduce tensions within Myanmar, especially the Thai-Myanmar border, and to promote peace and stability.

What is significant and puzzling is its increasing divergence from ASEAN in addressing the crisis. By officially inviting Min Aung Hlaing to visit Thailand, the Thai government has arguably lent legitimacy to the junta leader without requiring any efforts at implementing ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus. As Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak from Chulalongkorn University recently argued, this not only diverges from the ASEAN approach to the conflict but also creates difficulties for the Philippines, the current ASEAN chair, and for Singapore, which will take ASEAN’s helm in 2027.

Why Thailand is adopting such a unilateral and divergent approach from its ASEAN counterparts is muddled. On one hand, Thailand is optimistic that what it refers to as “calibrated reengagement” towards Myanmar will eventually yield concessions and cooperation from Myanmar’s side. Citing detained leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent meeting with a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross, Anutin claimed that the situation in the country is moving in the right direction. Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow also stated that Myanmar would undertake further positive steps and allow ASEAN representatives to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi.

Thailand is thus trying to advocate a softer and more accommodative approach to Myanmar. In doing so, they claim that their approach is more effective or would yield positive results in the near future. This also reflects Thailand’s growing impatience with the ongoing situation in Myanmar and with ASEAN’s approach to the conflict. The Thai government’s move could........

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