Thailand and Myanmar have reaffirmed military cooperation as the two countries’ top military commanders met in Bangkok for talks on border security, cybercrime, counter-terrorism and joint training.

Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Gen. Ye Win Oo and his Thai counterpart Gen. Ukris Boontanondha chaired the 9th Thailand-Myanmar High Level Committee (HLC) meeting on Thursday, with discussions also covering drug trafficking, environmental pollution, humanitarian assistance and military exchanges.

The meeting comes amid growing scrutiny of Thailand’s engagement with Myanmar’s military leadership, as the conflict inside Myanmar continues to fuel civilian casualties, displacement and instability along the border.

According to The Irrawaddy, Gen. Ukris had already reaffirmed Thailand’s commitment to military exchanges during a meeting with Ye Win Oo on Wednesday. Myanmar officers have long attended training and professional development programs in Thailand, including courses on military administration, leadership, intelligence, and surveillance.

Myanmar Defense & Security Institute representative Ko Naung Yoe said such training programs were part of the country's longstanding military cooperation and did not necessarily indicate plans for joint military operations inside Myanmar.

However, resistance groups and political observers have expressed concern that closer coordination between the two militaries could increase pressure on anti-regime forces operating near the Thai-Myanmar frontier. They have also warned that tighter border controls could affect the movement of supplies and humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected areas.

Thailand has traditionally maintained close security ties with Myanmar, while also seeking to contain the spillover effects of the conflict, including refugee flows, armed clashes, narcotics trafficking and transnational cybercrime.

The two countries also manage their shared frontier through the Joint Boundary Committee, bringing together civilian and military officials at township and regional levels to address border-related issues.

Myanmar’s military has historically sent officers abroad for professional training, including to Russia, China, India and Pakistan, in areas ranging from command and leadership to military engineering, aviation and weapons systems.

The latest HLC meeting signals Bangkok’s continued engagement with Myanmar’s military authorities, even as the conflict inside Myanmar remains a major regional security and humanitarian concern.

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