Thailand, Myanmar military chiefs meet in Bangkok

Myanmar military chief Ye Win Oo met Thailand's top general Ukris Boontanondha in Bangkok on Thursday 20 August 2026, in his first overseas trip since taking the role.

The talks came as Myanmar's post-coup authorities seek to end five years of diplomatic isolation, while Thailand pursues practical cooperation over security along their 2,400-kilometre border.

Ye Win Oo, a former spymaster for Myanmar's ruling junta, was greeted by Ukris at a Bangkok hotel. The two generals posed with their delegations before talks began.

Border security and scam networks

Thailand's military said the meeting covered stronger security cooperation on the border, where Myanmar's civil war has brought instability since the military overthrew the elected government in a 2021 coup.

The generals discussed joint action against illicit drug trafficking and cyberscam networks, alongside counterterrorism cooperation, military training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The talks also addressed cross-border haze, forest fires and river contamination. Ukris presented Ye Win Oo with air-quality monitoring devices, according to the Thai military statement.

Previous high-level military talks were held in Myanmar in 2023, two years after the coup, when Min Aung Hlaing was still Myanmar's armed forces chief.

Thailand resets relations after disputed polls

Myanmar's military detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi during the 2021 takeover, triggering a civil war in which the armed forces have been accused of widespread rights abuses. The conflict is estimated to have killed 100,000 people.

Following deeply restricted elections held around the start of 2026, Min Aung Hlaing became civilian president and handed military command to his loyalist Ye Win Oo.

Democracy watchdogs have described the vote as a charade intended to rebrand military rule, citing Suu Kyi's exclusion, the sidelining of her party and prison sentences for dissenters.

Thailand is among neighbouring countries using the polls as an opportunity to reset relations, citing unavoidable shared border issues. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul gave Min Aung Hlaing a red-carpet welcome in Bangkok this month.

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow defended that visit, telling reporters: "It's not about legitimacy, it's about reality."

Criticism over engagement

The Special Advisory Council for Myanmar said this week that Thailand had "torched its credibility" by "embracing a warlord". Allowing Ye Win Oo's visit was "adding to its ignominy", it said.

Ye Win Oo has been sanctioned by countries including the United States for his role in the coup.

Last week, the UN's Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar said the military under his command was escalating aerial attacks on civilian targets. Its annual report also documented arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence by the military.

Myanmar's government rejected the report as "one-sided allegations against Myanmar's security forces based on unverifiable and inaccurate information".

Picture courtesy of AFP

Join the discussion?

21 August 2026