Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will fly to Burma on Sunday on an overnight visit to discuss the issue of illegal migrants who regularly land on the kingdom's southern shores, an official statement said on Saturday.
Mr Kasit was to depart for a two-day official visit on Sunday and pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister General Thein Sein in the country's remote capital Naypyidaw.
He will also meet his counterpart Nyan Win.
They will discuss a broad range of bilateral issues including the large numbers of minority Muslim Rohingya people who regularly flee for Thailand claiming they are persecuted, the statement said.
The military has been accused of cruelly mistreating Rohingya migrants by binding their arms and towing them out to sea with scant supplies.
Migrants have testified to the abuse while international media have published photographs claiming to provide further evidence of it.
The government denied the claims and says the problem of illegal immigration must be tackled regionally.
The talks will include "the issue of illegal migrant workers and anti-human trafficking," the statement said.
"Moreover, the foreign minister will consult with the (Burmese) leadership... on cooperation ... to address the Bengalis/Rohingyas issue."
The statement said the bilateral talks would also discuss combating illegal drug trafficking, as well as transportation infrastructure projects.
Mr Kasit survived a vote of no confidence on Saturday, along with Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and four other ministers. His appointment remains controversial because of his support for protesters of the People's Alliance for Democracy who forced the closure of Bangkok's airports last year. (AFP)
Source: Bangkok Post
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