Junta chief’s family buys $3m Bangkok home

As Myanmar’s military regime tightened its grip in 2022, the family of junta leader Min Aung Hlaing quietly secured a multi‑million dollar property in Bangkok, according to documents obtained by Justice For Myanmar.

Thai corporate and land records show that Min Aung Hlaing’s son, Aung Pyae Sone, and his wife, Myo Yadana Htaik, purchased a luxury home worth 98 million baht (nearly US$3 million) in Issara Residence Rama 9. The deal was brokered by Tun Min Latt, a close associate of the family, who was later arrested on charges of money laundering and organised crime. Despite his detention, the transaction went ahead.

The property is formally held by Emerald Princess Co. Ltd., a company created just days before the transfer. Justice For Myanmar describes it as a proxy entity designed to shield the family’s involvement and bypass Thai laws restricting foreign land ownership. The firm has no public profile, no financial statements, and is registered under a trade classification unrelated to real estate.

Senior executives at Charn Issara Development, the listed Thai developer behind the project, were directly involved in the sale. Records show that Aung Pyae Sone and his wife visited the company’s Bangkok office in August 2022, meeting with its CEO and senior managers. Payments were made in instalments through Thai banks, beginning with a 30% downpayment in May 2022.

The purchase raises questions about sanctions evasion. Aung Pyae Sone has been sanctioned by the United States and Canada, but his wife has not, creating what campaigners call a loophole. By placing the contract in her name, the family was able to proceed despite international restrictions.

Justice For Myanmar says the case highlights how Thai companies and intermediaries have enabled the junta’s elite to protect assets abroad while the country itself faces economic collapse and widespread hunger. Neither Charn Issara nor the law firm involved responded to requests for comment.

This is not the first time Tun Min Latt has facilitated property deals for the family. Previous investigations revealed that Min Aung Hlaing’s daughter also owns a luxury apartment in Bangkok, with documents seized during police raids in 2022.

The revelations add to mounting evidence that, even as Myanmar’s people endure war and deprivation, the junta’s inner circle continues to funnel wealth into overseas assets, shielded by opaque corporate structures and weak enforcement of sanctions.

-2026-03-26