Burma's long-time democracy icon and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is making her first international trip in 24 years.

She is to arrive Tuesday in the Thai capital, Bangkok, where she is expected to meet with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The Burmese opposition leader will also address the World Economic Forum on East Asia later this week.

The newly elected parliament member spent 15 of the past 22 years in detention for challenging the oppressive military leadership that ruled Burma for decades.

The Nobel laureate, who was released from house arrest in 2010, had previously refused to leave Burma out of fear authorities would not let her return.

Her trip is seen by many as a landmark moment in Burma's political reform process, which began last year when the country's military rulers transferred power to a nominally civilian government.

Aung San Suu Kyi's multi-day trip to neighboring Thailand will also include a visit with some of the tens of thousands of Burmese refugees and migrant workers who fled ethnic conflict in Burma's border regions.

Before leaving for Thailand, Aung San Suu Kyi met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is wrapping up a landmark three-day visit to Burma to strengthen trade and investment links between the two Asian neighbors. Speaking at a news conference, Aung San Suu Kyi said she was looking forward to the prospect of closer ties with India.

“Because I think we have much to learn from one another and we have much to contribute to peace and stability in this region, because our goals, our democratic goals work on the basis of peace and stability and these are what we shall aim towards.”

Mr. Singh is the first Indian prime minister to visit Burma since 1987. His meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi is seen as an indication India is open to reaffirming ties with Burma's opposition movement.

New Delhi has long been criticized for its ties with Burma's oppressive former military leadership.

Aung San Suu Kyi's trip to Thailand comes just weeks before she is scheduled to tour several European countries.

She will give a speech to the International Labor Organization conference in Geneva on June 14. She will also visit Norway on June 16 to formally receive the Nobel Peace Prize that she won nearly 21 years ago but was unable to accept in person because of her detention. She later plans to address both houses of parliament in Britain, where she lived for years with her husband, who is now deceased.