Investment, energy sector talks to dominate Myanmar junta leader’s visit to Thailand

Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing is set to engage in a two-day visit to Thailand, focusing on key areas including investment, trade, border stability, and energy cooperation. The trip underscores Thailand's ongoing involvement in Myanmar's gas sector, a critical source of foreign currency for the ruling military since the 2021 coup.

This visit occurs shortly after the junta finalized a Domestic Gas Supply Agreement (DGSA) with Thailand's PTTEP International Limited. This agreement pertains to gas from the M-3 offshore block, also known as the Aung Theinkha project, with production anticipated to commence in late 2028. The extracted gas is designated for domestic electricity generation and fertilizer production.

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Thailand supports renewed engagement with Myanmar through dialogue while continuing to recognise ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus as the framework for addressing the country’s crisis.

While junta spokesperson Khaing Khaing Soe confirmed that relevant ministers would accompany Min Aung Hlaing and that energy would be a central topic, she declined to offer further specifics. PTTEP's continued partnership solidifies its position as a major foreign investor in Myanmar's offshore gas industry.

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PTTEP’s continued partnership with the junta-controlled Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise helps generate revenue for the military, while payments routed through foreign currency accounts in Thai banks allow the regime continued access to the international financial system despite sanctions on Myanmar state-owned banks.

Ahead of the visit, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expressed Thailand's support for renewed engagement with Myanmar through dialogue, while acknowledging ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus as the framework for resolving the country's crisis. He emphasized the need for practical progress and responsiveness to on-the-ground realities.

However, the visit has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations and political figures. Justice For Myanmar (JFM) urged Thailand to end its alleged complicity in the junta's international crimes, stating that PTTEP's collaboration with the junta-controlled Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise generates revenue for the military. JFM highlighted that payments routed through Thai bank accounts provide the regime access to the international financial system, circumventing sanctions. The group called for Thailand to sever financial and energy ties that sustain the junta's operations.

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There were no signs the Myanmar military regime had changed course after more than five years of mass killings and forcing millions of people to flee, many of them into neighbouring countries, particularly Thailand.

Thai lawmaker Kannavee Suebsang voiced similar concerns, noting the absence of significant change in the Myanmar military regime's conduct despite years of violence and displacement. Rohingya activist Tun Khin, president of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK (BROUK), also condemned the visit. BROUK has formally requested the Argentinian judiciary to seek Min Aung Hlaing's extradition from Thailand, citing an arrest warrant issued by an Argentine court in 2025 for genocide and crimes against humanity. They urged Thai authorities to cooperate with Argentina rather than host the junta chief on an official visit.

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Thai authorities should cooperate with Argentina to arrest and extradite Min Aung Hlaing to stand trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, rather than welcome him on an official visit.