Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing is expected to visit Thailand on Thursday, marking his first trip to the neighbouring country since assuming the presidency as he seeks to restore diplomatic ties for his internationally isolated nation.

The former junta chief led the military coup that ousted democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, triggering a civil war that analysts estimate has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

He was installed as president in April following tightly controlled elections that democracy watchdogs and Western governments dismissed as a sham designed to legitimise military rule.

Thailand has since taken the lead in efforts to rebuild engagement with Myanmar, both bilaterally and through the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Myanmar's top leadership has been barred from ASEAN summits since the coup, although its foreign minister attended an informal meeting with regional counterparts in Thailand last month.

Since exchanging military uniform for civilian attire, Min Aung Hlaing has stepped up diplomatic outreach, visiting India, key ally China and fellow ASEAN member Laos.

Ahead of the Bangkok visit, Suu Kyi, who remains under house arrest, was allowed to meet a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday—the first publicly known meeting between the ousted leader and a foreign official since the coup.

Independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson said the campaign to regain a place within ASEAN was largely about restoring Min Aung Hlaing's international standing.

"It is a matter of pure status," he told AFP.

However, Myanmar's military-backed government continues to reject ASEAN's five-point consensus, the bloc's peace roadmap that calls for dialogue among all parties to the conflict.

"He wants to be seen as a responsible member of ASEAN while, paradoxically, totally rejecting the five-point consensus," Mathieson said, describing the approach as an example of "zero-sum logics".

Analysts say Thailand has strong incentives to improve ties with its neighbour.

Fighting between Myanmar's military and various ethnic armed groups has repeatedly spilled across the shared border, while Thailand also faces challenges linked to cyber scam syndicates and drug trafficking operating from Myanmar's unstable border regions.

Thailand's Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said on Monday that Myanmar, along with Cambodia, could "do a lot more" to combat transnational scam networks and that the issue would be raised during Min Aung Hlaing's visit.

In a separate statement, he welcomed Suu Kyi's meeting with the Red Cross, expressing hope that Myanmar's authorities would take further steps towards lasting peace and stability.

According to a Thai official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, Min Aung Hlaing will receive a ceremonial welcome at Bangkok's Government House before holding talks with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

The Myanmar leader is also scheduled to attend a business forum and a state dinner. The two sides are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on labour cooperation.

The visit has drawn criticism from human rights groups, which argue that Thailand should not be extending such diplomatic recognition to Min Aung Hlaing, who is under sanctions imposed by several Western countries and is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity.

Campaign group Justice For Myanmar condemned the visit, saying: "Min Aung Hlaing must be held accountable for his crimes, not awarded false legitimacy."