Myanmar opposition hopes for change of government in Thailand

Opponents of junta rule in Myanmar are putting their faith in the upcoming Thai general election to bring an end to military-backed rule of prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Critics of Myanmar coup leader, senior general Min Aung Hlaing, hope that a new Thai administration led by the Pheu Thai party will be more critical of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar’s armed forces).

The current Thai administration, through its powerful military, has maintained close contacts with the Myanmar junta since the coup there in February 2021. Senior army personnel frequently hold meetings with their counterparts and Thai TV Channel 7, army-controlled, has carried programs encouraging tourism in Myanmar. There is mutual and ongoing cooperation on natural gas operations in the Andaman Sea.

Ma Khine Thet, an exiled Myanmar researcher, said a Pheu Thai-led government in…