A Thin Veneer of Legitimacy: Min Aung Hlaing's Thai Sojourn The red carpet treatment afforded to Myanmar's junta chief turned president, Min Aung Hlaing, in Thailand last week has been hailed as a major step towards regional acceptance.
However, this perceived progress is merely a tactical maneuver by the embattled leader to shore up his flagging legitimacy.
Hlaing's two day visit to Bangkok was a carefully choreographed exercise in optics, designed to showcase Thailand's hospitality and Myanmar's desire for reengagement with the international community.