Thai Military Hosts Myanmar's New Top Commander
Thailand's military hosted Myanmar's newly appointed top commander on an official visit, with both nations agreeing to expand military education exchanges and strengthen cooperation on border security and environmental issues.
The Thai Armed Forces held a formal reception with tri-service honor guard for Myanmar's newly appointed senior military commander before attending the High Level Committee meeting, underscoring strong ties. Thailand will open places in a joint general staff course and promote diploma and bachelor's degree programs for Myanmar military personnel to study Thai language.
On August 20, 2025, the Thai Army Command released images of Supreme Commander Ukorkit Buntanan welcoming General Ye Win Oo, Myanmar's new senior military commander, and his wife and delegation during an official visit to Thailand on August 19.
This marks Myanmar's first visit after Ye Win Oo took office as Myanmar's 9th senior commander on March 30, 2025, aimed at strengthening ties and deepening cooperation between the two militaries at Thai Army Command.
During the visit, Myanmar's commander participated in an inspection of a mixed tri-service honor guard and paid courtesy calls on Thailand's Supreme Commander. Thailand's commander congratulated him on his appointment and praised the strong and enduring relationship between Thailand and Myanmar, which will celebrate 78 years of diplomatic relations on August 24, 2025. Both nations have developed cooperation on a foundation of neighborly relations and continuous mutual development.
Both sides exchanged views on strengthening military cooperation, particularly in security, education, training, natural resource management, environment, and energy.
Thailand's commander expressed willingness for Myanmar military personnel to continue education and training at Thai military educational institutions and welcomed Myanmar military students to join the joint general staff course to be offered in the near future.
Additionally, Thailand's commander emphasized the importance of existing cooperation mechanisms, including the Township Border Committee (TBC) and the Regional Border Committee (RBC), as key instruments for coordinating cooperation and addressing border security issues.
The two sides have maintained good practices and coordination, including joint management of natural resources and the environment, and addressing issues affecting both nations such as forest fires, haze, and flooding.
Myanmar's senior commander said he was deeply honored by the official visit to Thailand and participation in the 9th Thailand-Myanmar High Level Committee (HLC) meeting on August 20-21, 2025. He praised the strong relationship and cooperation between both nations and militaries, and expressed commitment to working with the Thai military to promote peace and security for the benefit of both peoples.
Myanmar's commander also thanked Thailand and the Thai military for humanitarian assistance following the earthquake on March 28, 2024, and emphasized the importance of exchange visits and educational cooperation.
Both sides discussed opportunities to promote diploma and bachelor's degree programs for Myanmar military personnel to develop Thai language skills and foster better understanding between the two militaries.
