The August 2017 Tatmadaw offensive against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state provides further clues into Thai-Tatmadaw bilateral relations. Pro-democracy protesters hold a Myanmar flag as they take part in a demonstration marching toward the residence of Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha in Bangkok on February 28. Thai companies frequently do business with military-owned conglomerates such as Myanmar Economic Holdings (MEHL).īut the February 1 coup d’etat is likely to significantly dent trade between the two countries, as well as restrict the flow of labour across borders. Thailand is a major trading partner to Myanmar, second only to China since 2018, according to the World Bank. Prayut also presented an eager face when he met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who visited Bangkok in May 2016 at the invitation of the Thai military, pledging to work closely on security and border development related issues. In his meeting with then-President U Thein Sein, Prayut expressed his support and respect for Myanmar’s national sovereignty – and vowed not to allow any minority group to undermine that sovereignty from Thai soil. It was unsurprising that Prayut chose Myanmar as the first foreign country to visit following his own seizure of power in May 2014. The current era has been defined by the cultivation of personal relationships between military leaders as well as the resumption of business ties. Today, Myanmar migrant workers make up a significant portion of Thailand’s 2.8 million migrant workers. After promising to turn battlefields into marketplaces, Thailand opened up to the idea of letting Myanmar into ASEAN in the mid-1990s and took advantage of every opportunity to exploit business opportunities, including its vast natural resources and sources of cheap labour. However, it was economic benefits that prompted a new era of cooperation. In recent years, animosity has grown over a number of border-related issues, such as the flow of Myanmar refugees into Thailand, human trafficking, and transnational crime – namely the spread of heroin and methamphetamines. Portrayed for generations as an aggressive neighbour, who in the past invaded the ancient Siamese capital of Ayutthaya on more than one occasion, Myanmar has been a convenient enemy and focal point for Thai nationalism. Thailand’s relationship with its historic rival is extraordinarily complicated and stretches across several administrations – both military-led and democratically elected.
While within the context of ASEAN, Thailand has played host to talks between the Tatmadaw-appointed foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin and Southeast Asian countries, led by Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi, the Prayut government’s relationship with the Myanmar military has been somewhat less than neutral. More than a month since the Tatmadaw took power and detained Aung San Suu Kyi, democracy appears to have been suppressed, while ties between Thailand and neighbouring Myanmar are drawing closer.
After Myanmar Senior General and now-Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing seized power on February 1, one of his earliest acts was to compose a letter to Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha explaining why the military had taken control and asked for help to support democracy.