Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to arrive in Thailand on Thursday for a two day visit, marking his first trip here since becoming a civilian leader.
The ex-junta chief will be welcomed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The trip is aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation within the Asean framework.
Government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said the visit underscores the importance of bilateral ties and provides an opportunity to advance practical cooperation on issues affecting the security and well-being of people in both nations, as well as collaboration within the Asean bloc.
Mr Anutin will formally welcome the Myanmar president at Government House, where an official welcoming ceremony and military honour guard inspection will be held.
They will then hold private and full-delegation talks to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation in areas of mutual interest, Ms Rachada said.
Following the talks, officials from both countries are expected to sign and exchange a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs). The leaders will also witness the handover of assistance initiatives between the two governments, she said.
As part of the visit, Mr Anutin and Min Aung Hlaing will jointly attend the opening of the Thailand-Myanmar Business Forum 2026, a key platform aimed at promoting trade, investment and economic cooperation between the two countries.
"The visit reflects the commitment of both countries to deepen cooperation across a broad range of areas and maintain close coordination on regional and international issues of shared concern," Ms Rachada said.
Mr Anutin, who was in Jakarta on Tuesday on a two-day official visit, called for a "calibrated re-engagement" with Myanmar. He was speaking at the headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
He made the comments after a meeting with Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn. Mr Anutin also met Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Monday. He said in a policy speech that Asean's Myanmar peace initiative, known as the "Five-Point Consensus", remains the bloc's guiding framework to addressing the crisis. The initiative calls for a cessation of violence and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
"Thailand has advocated a calibrated re-engagement approach that keeps dialogue open and responds to realities on the ground while encouraging concrete progress," Mr Anutin said.
"The approach is moving in the right direction after [detained former leader] Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday and "appears to be in good health", he added. "This has been what Thailand has advocated all along."
He said Asean's principles of non-interference remain key but "they must be applied to the flexibility and pragmatism needed to preserve unity".
