The Supreme Commander of the Thai Armed Forces organized a tri-service honor guard to welcome the new Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's Armed Forces before the High-Level Committee (HLC) meeting, highlighting strong bilateral relations. Thailand is preparing to open seats for Myanmar officers in the joint staff course.
On 20 August 2026, reporters reported that the Thai Armed Forces Headquarters released images of General Udomdej Sitabutr, Supreme Commander of the Thai Armed Forces, welcoming General Ye Win Oo, the new Supreme Commander of Myanmar, along with his spouse and delegation during an official visit to Thailand on 19 August 2026. This marked Myanmar as the first country visited by General Ye Win Oo since assuming his position, aiming to strengthen relations and cooperation between the Thai and Myanmar armed forces at the Thai Armed Forces Headquarters.
On this occasion, the Myanmar Supreme Commander participated in an inspection ceremony of a combined tri-service honor guard and paid respects to the Thai Supreme Commander. The Thai Supreme Commander welcomed him warmly and congratulated General Ye Win Oo on his appointment as the 9th Supreme Commander of Myanmar on 30 March 2026. He also praised the strong ties between Thailand and Myanmar, which will mark the 78th anniversary of diplomatic relations on 24 August 2026, noting the neighborly basis and ongoing development of cooperation between the two countries.
Both sides exchanged views on strengthening military cooperation, especially in security, education, and training, as well as natural resource, environmental, and energy management. The Thai Supreme Commander expressed pleasure that Myanmar officers have continuously received education and training at Thai military institutions and welcomed future Myanmar officer students to enroll in the forthcoming joint staff course.
Furthermore, the Thai Supreme Commander emphasized the importance of utilizing existing cooperation mechanisms—the Township Border Committee (TBC) and Regional Border Committee (RBC)—as key platforms to coordinate and resolve security issues along the border. Both sides have maintained good practices and coordination, including joint management of natural resources and the environment, and addressing problems affecting the populations of both countries, such as forest fires, haze, and floods.
The Myanmar Supreme Commander expressed his honor in officially visiting Thailand and attending the 9th Thailand-Myanmar High-Level Committee (HLC) meeting scheduled for 20-21 August 2026. He praised the strong relations and cooperation between both countries and their militaries, committing to collaborate with the Thai Armed Forces to foster peace and security for the benefit of both peoples.
He also thanked Thailand and the Thai Armed Forces for humanitarian assistance following Myanmar's earthquake on 28 March 2025. He highlighted the importance of exchange visits and educational cooperation, discussing opportunities to promote associate and bachelor degree programs for Myanmar personnel to develop Thai language skills and enhance mutual understanding between the two militaries.
This visit by the Myanmar Supreme Commander to Thailand underscores the longstanding and strong military relations between the two countries, reflecting their commitment to developing security cooperation, education, border management, and joint responses to shared challenges. This will build trust, mutual understanding, security, and lasting peace for the people of both nations.