Myanmar’s junta chief turned president Min Aung Hlaing concluded a two-day visit to Thailand on Friday, his first official trip to the neighboring country as civilian leader. The visit was designed to recast Min Aung Hlaing as the head of a legitimate civilian government, following years of diplomatic isolation, according to regional experts. “Min Aung Hlaing is seeking to leverage Naypyidaw’s space in bilateral relations with neighbours’ specific interests to secure greater acceptance of his administration from external partners,” Moe Thuzar added. The military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party won more than 80% of seats in those elections, paving the way for parliament to elect Min Aung Hlaing as president in April. Still, Moe Thuzar noted that Min Aung Hlaing may hope his official foreign trips help convince ASEAN to accept his government “on its own terms.”