Share :

Download PDF :

The Straits Times (22 April 2026)

Thailand wants to play a leading role in Myanmar’s bid to normalise its ties with South-east Asian bloc ASEAN after five years on the sidelines, the Thai Foreign Minister said ahead of a meeting on April 22 with new President Min Aung Hlaing.

Former military chief Min Aung Hlaing led a 2021 coup that ended a decade of tentative democracy in Myanmar and sparked chaos and a civil war, prompting an intervention by ASEAN and the exclusion of the then ruling generals from its summits.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, 69, was chosen as President by Parliament on April 3, formalising his grip on power after a recent election that was dominated by an army-backed party in the absence of viable opposition.

Click for more