Jakarta. Thailand has once again urged ASEAN to reengage with Myanmar, a few days before Bangkok hosts ex-junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul pitched the idea when addressing the ASEAN Secretariat on Tuesday. In a brief policy speech, Anutin described the situation in the war-ravaged Myanmar as a “clear test” for the 11-member bloc.

While Bangkok agrees to stick to ASEAN’s years-old five-point peace plan as its “guiding framework”, Anutin proposed some changes to how the grouping interacts with Myanmar.

“Thailand has advocated a calibrated re-engagement approach that leaves dialogue open and responds to realities on the ground, while encouraging concrete progress,” Anutin said in Jakarta.

He claimed that the approach had been moving in the “right direction”, citing the detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent talks with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where she “appeared to be in good health”.

“A peaceful and stable Myanmar is not only in Thailand's interest as a close neighbor. It is essential to ASEAN's unity and regional stability,” Anutin remarked.

ASEAN has largely isolated Myanmar after a military coup toppled the civilian government led by Suu Kyi in February 2021. The Southeast Asian club came up with a “five-point consensus”, a peace plan that urged an immediate end to violence and called for the warring factions to sit together for talks.

Despite sluggish progress and Min Aung Hlaing’s criticism of the plan, ASEAN has no intention of changing its strategy. However, the communication channels with the junta-run nation are warming up.

Bangkok recently hosted informal talks between ASEAN foreign ministers and their Myanmar counterpart for the first time since the putsch.

Min Aung Hlaing officially rose to power in April following an election widely decried as a sham.

He is set to travel to Thailand on Thursday at Anutin’s invitation, as Bangkok tries to ease Myanmar’s isolation. They are expected to discuss bilateral ties and cooperation within ASEAN.

Anutin had kicked off his Jakarta visit with a meeting with President Prabowo Subianto.

The Indonesian leader said that Jakarta and Bangkok “would work together to encourage ASEAN’s constructive role in enabling a sustainable peace in Myanmar”.