Suu Kyi met by frenzied fans in Thailand

Myanmar´s Aung San Suu Kyi arrived on Thursday in Thailand to a frenzied welcome from some of the hundreds of thousands of her compatriots who have sought work and sanctuary from war across the border.

Thai police struggled to hold back a boisterous thousands-strong crowd of migrant workers, many holding aloft framed photos of the nation´s star politician while chanting "Mother Suu, Mother Suu".

Although cocooned by security guards, crowds craned to grab a fleeting glimpse of a politician who strides over Myanmar´s democracy movement and exerts a powerful moral force among her countrymen wherever they are.

"I am so happy, I love Aung San Suu Kyi... today is the first time I have seen her," said 32-year-old Banyar Taik, who works at a tuna processing plant.

It is Suu Kyi´s highest profile overseas visit since her pro-democracy party took power in April, ending nearly half a century of military domination.

Her government has seeded hopes for a new era of prosperity that could eventually convince the army of low-paid Myanmar labourers in Thailand to return home.

The two Southeast Asian neighbours have travelled in starkly different directions in recent years.

While Myanmar´s junta has rolled back its chokehold on politics, Thailand remains in the grip of a military that seized power in 2014.

Seeking to escape poverty at home, some one million registered Myanmar migrant workers form the backbone of Thailand´s manual workforce.

Tens of thousands of others work illegally, with some estimates putting the total number of Myanmar nationals in Thailand at three million.

Rights groups say migrants -- legal and otherwise -- are vulnerable to unscrupulous officials, trafficking gangs and employment agencies who charge huge sums to get them poorly paid work.

Their low status also sees them treated with scorn and mistrust by many Thais.

Suu Kyi, who is Myanmar´s de facto leader despite being barred from the presidency, vowed to support migrants in discussions during her three-day trip.

"I want to hear the voices from our nationals. Please speak openly about we can do for you and what you expect," she said.

But she did not field questions from reporters in keeping with the tight control she has exerted over political messaging since her party took power in April.

Suu Kyi enjoys a peerless status to many Myanmar people who see her as symbol of defiance through the dark junta years and a beacon of hope.

Her visit "fills me with hope," Myanmar migrant Thon Barami, 50, told AFP at the scruffy port, which is a hub for Thailand´s huge seafood industry and home to more than 100,000 low-paid Myanmar labourers.