Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow plans to invite his Myanmar counterpart to meet top regional diplomats to build ASEAN consensus for greater engagement with Myanmar's new military-backed government. He shared this in a Reuters interview in Bangkok on May 5, 2026. The move aims to restore dialogue sidelined since the 2021 coup.
In the interview, Sihasak said the meeting would occur on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ gathering. “This would be another meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting,” he told Reuters. “And then he can brief us on recent developments, on what they plan to do. Then we can take it from there. So it’s a step-by-step process.”
Sihasak met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing a fortnight ago, following an election where a pro-military party won. Min Aung Hlaing assumed the presidency last month to formalize his power. ASEAN has barred junta leaders from high-level meetings since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government.
He plans to discuss the initiative with other foreign ministers at a leaders’ summit in the Philippines this week, their first since Myanmar's vote. “We want to move together collectively with ASEAN. But we should move. We should do something,” Sihasak said. He stressed Thailand does not seek to act unilaterally.
Despite ASEAN's five-point consensus peace plan, Myanmar's civil war displaces over 3.6 million people and has killed more than 6,800 civilians. Sihasak called for action toward peace and raised concerns about Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest, expressing hope for better conditions without requesting a visit.
