Thaksin surprised locals when he visited the Shwedagon Pagoda

On Wednesday morning, local worshippers at Rangoon's magnificent Shwedagon temple were clearly astonished to watch the Thai leader praying and sightseeing alongside them.

It was a populist touch, unfamiliar to most people in military-ruled Burma.

Little of substance

But while his charm has undoubtedly helped to warm the atmosphere, Mr Thaksin was unable to walk away with any solid agreements on the issues which still divide the two countries.

The memorandum of understanding they signed referred only in the most general terms to the problems of drugs, which Thailand says are produced in large quantities inside Burma and then shipped over the border.

There was no mention even of the joint border patrols the Thai side had been seeking.

Big differences

Thailand is awash with narcotics, and Mr Thaksin has made controlling the supply of drugs a top priority. But his Burmese counterparts still insist they are not responsible for Thailand's drugs crisis.

These are still two very different Asian states. One is a free market democracy; the other, one of the world's most isolated and oppressive regimes.

However much they need to get along with each other, Thailand and Burma still find it hard to end their historic mistrust and rivalry.