Thailand hopes to bring Myanmar back into ASEAN, foreign minister says

Myanmar has held its first elections since the 2021 military coup amid international criticism

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Thailand hoped to bring Myanmar back into the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations after the country held elections nearly five years after a military coup.

Sihasak spoke on Wednesday after holding talks with his Myanmar counterpart Foreign Minister Than Swe in southern Thailand.

Myanmar held a three-phased election from December to January, the first after a 2021 coup that seized power from an elected government that threw the country in turmoil and civil war.

A military-backed party was declared the winner in the election in limited areas, a vote criticised by the United Nations and rights groups