Myanmar's ambassador to Thailand, U Win Maung, on Wednesday visited the Lawyers Council of Thailand to seek its help in launching an appeal to the death sentences given to the two men found guilty of killing two British tourists on Koh Tao island last year.
"We're to take the case to the Appeal Court. It's the chance that we are hoping for," he said through an interpreter.
Last Thursday the Koh Samui Court found Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun, both 22, guilty of raping and murdering Hannah Witheridge, 23, and killing David Miller, 24, on Koh Tao in September 2014. The ruling prompted protests in Myanmar and at Thai embassies in some other countries.
Mr U Win Maung said the relationship between Thailand and Myanmar would not be undermined by the case as the Myanmar government understood Thailand's judicial process.
He said he hoped the case would be treated well and fairly by the Appeal Court.
LCT president Dej-udom Krairit said the council had accepted the plea to work on an appeal for the two Myanmar men.
"We will do the best we can as they give us confidence that they are not guilty," he said, adding the appeal procedure would take at least a year.
The Myanmar government will support some of the funding for the LCT to do its work on the case, although the LCT does not charge its clients.
Under court procedures, an appeal request must be submitted within 30 days of the Court of First Instance's reading of the verdict.
But the LCT plans to ask for extension as there are many details to the case that the court will need to consider before making a decision.