Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing will join a regional leaders' summit in Thailand next week where he is seeking high-level bilateral meetings, said three sources with direct knowledge, in a rare visit to a Southeast Asian country since seizing power in coup that led to a civil war.

Min Aung Hlaing is the subject of widespread western sanctions and is barred from attending summits of the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN due to the Myanmar military's failure to implement an agreed peace plan with the bloc.

He will join the April 3-4 summit in Bangkok of the BIMSTEC grouping of mostly South Asian countries, where the Myanmar delegation is seeking bilateral meetings with leaders and top officials.

The meetings being sought include ones with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, Muhammed Yunus, the sources said.

"They have been reaching out asking for meetings," one of the sources said, referring to Myanmar officials.

Myanmar has been in crisis since the military overthrew the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking mass protests that escalated into an armed rebellion against the junta.

More than a third of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.

The junta chief said on Thursday said an election would be held in December, promising a free and fair vote and to transfer state power to the winning party. (Reuters)