MYANMAR (BURMA)

Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings

Regarding the border crossing from China: I tried the checkpoints at Wanding and two checkpoints at Ruili, but they would not allow me to cross because of my American citizenship. I finally made it into actual Myanmar for a day trip with a Ruili hotel tour company. I had to convince the tour guide that I was a Beijing resident (I am American of Chinese ancestry).
Jane Liu, (Mar 99)

The Vietnam Embassy has now moved to 36 Wingoba Rd, Bahan Township, tel: 548 905. It was closed when we called, as was the Laos Embassy, because of Kayin/Karin National Day (18 December 98). We were eventually told it takes six days to obtain a visa here and they cost $45.
Steve Rogowski, UK (Jan 99)

There have been occasional reports that the Myanmar government is not giving visas to USA nationals. This is wrong.
David Hogarth, USA (Nov 98)

As well as Yangon, it is also legal to enter and exit Myanmar via Muse, Kawthoung and Tachileik. It has been so for at least two years now; three years in the case of Muse. I've done the latter two, most recently last week via Kawthoung by boat.
Joe Cummings, author of "Myanmar (Burma) Travel Survival Kit"(Nov 98)

It is not possible to cross from Thailand into Myanmar overland. The Thai/Myanmar border was recently reopened for commerce after several months. It is difficult to be definitive because the situation there is so fluid but this probably means travellers may also be allowed to cross into Myanmar again. However, if they are allowed across the border, it is for a day visit only and they must return to Thailand by the same border crossing the same day. They are not allowed to proceed beyond the township at the border where they crossed. Travellers are also not allowed to enter Myanmar at Rangoon and exit across the Thai border. If travellers wish to visit Mandalay, Pagan, etc, they must enter and leave the country at Rangoon airport. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recently updated its Travel Advice for Myanmar to reflect these conditions.
Doug Foskett, Australian Embassy, Rangoon (Sep 98)

The Burmese embassy in Manila, the Philippines, moved recently. The latest phone book (just out) still lists the old address. It's now on the 8th Floor, 152 Amorsolo St, Makati. The Pan Asia Bank is on the ground floor. If you look up from the street you can see the flag sticking out the top window. This is a good embassy to go for a quick visa - they normally do am/pm or pm/next am.
Diogenes, The Thorn Tree (Aug 98)

The Dutch Embassy at Yangon doesn't exist; Dutch should register at the UK Embassy.
Mariek Meijer - Netherlands (Jun 98)

Three Pagodas Pass (pp186 and 349, Thailand guide): the border with Myanmar is open to Thai citizens only (has been this way for the last three years according to the border control - on Thai government instructions).
A M Quest , UK (Apr 98)

The border bridge has now opened and there was a steady flow of traffic going both ways. Travellers can cross into Burma here - I believe for about US$10.
Jill Jolliffe, Portugal (Apr 98)

Travel permits are not needed now for the road trip to Kyaiktiyo.
Marilyn Staib, UK (Feb 98)

There is an EVT visa for those on pre-arranged tours, i.e., those using a local tour agent. These visas exempt you from the mandatory US$300 conversion into FEC.
David Lai (Jan 98)

I wanted to inform you of a recent change in policy at the Mai Sai-Thakhilek border. Last week I was able to officially 'exit' and 're-enter' Thailand here, enabling me to receive a new 30 day tourist visa free of charge (I am a US citizen). The Myanmar Immigration Police charged me US$5 (or 350Baht) to enter Thakhilek for the day, and graced my passport with both entrance and exit stamps for Myanmar. Quick, convenient, cheap, and no passport photos.
Rachel Jones, Taiwan (Jan 98)

You can stay longer than four weeks - you simply have to pay $35 to renew the four week period.
Francois Dufour, France (Dec 97)

At Mai Sai, Thailand, it is now possible to cross over to Burma for US$5. This is a good way to extend visas. It's only a day visa but on re-entry one gets another 30 days visa.
Rachel McEleney, Ireland (Dec 97)

All holders of Business Visas don't have to change any $ to FEC on arrival in Yangon (Rangoon). All you need to obtain a Business Visa is a letter on company headed note paper, saying the recipient is travelling to Myanmar to explore business opportunities. It's a little more expensive, but it's worth it.
Amanda Stock (Nov 97)

Think twice before you go to Myanmar in the hot season. Temperatures are in the high 30s, all the vegetation is dead and dust fills the air as well as smoke from fires lit to clear the land.
David & Sandra (Mar 99)

The FEC exchange at the airport seems now to be more strict: as a married couple we could not get out of both exchanging US$300.
Iago & Caroline Cornelius-Jones, Indonesia (Jan 99)

We were able to sneak through without changing dollars into FEC at the airport. When we needed to pay entrance fees or train tickets or airport tax we changed our dollars into FEC with other travellers or guesthouses. This way the government gets its own rubbish back.
We can also recommend that people take cash US$ instead of cheques.
A good tip: bring your ISIC card. It saved money on entrance fees.
Jeffrey van Hout & Yvette Stumpf - Holland (Jan 99)

It was said that you need the EVT stamp in your visa to avoid changing the 300USD into FECs. Actually its not true, because all the visas have EVT stamped on. What you need is the 'package tour' stamp. I got my visa issued in Rome with a package tour stamp and it worked.
Claudio Tomba - Italy (Feb 99)

Avoid taking pictures of Daw Aung San Suu Kyii's residence. Heard from an Australian traveller that a group of tourists were detained for several hours for innocently taking some pictures of the gate to her residence. Worse than that, the hotel manager was taken in for six hours of grilling by the police!
Yum Shoen Liang, Singapore (Jan 99)

The departure tax is now US$10.
Steven Goddard & Heather Scott-Goddard, USA (Dec 98)

Mogok is still off-limits to foreigners.

Meiktila is a pleasant enough transit town, but there is only one hotel which is permitted to take foreigners.
Raymond Lae, UK (Dec 98)

Pindaya Cave: you should take a flashlight. The power failed when we were in the very depths of the cave, and the slippery, invisible floor was not fun. Actually, a flashlight was useful in general, as it had been a dry year and water power was scant; the power was turned off regularly. The shops in most places had their own generators.

Bagan: you can rent a bike for 100 kyats a day. In my opinion, this is definitely the way to see the place.
Samuel Charache, USA (Dec 98)

Do not hesitate to bargain for hotel rooms. In general they will show you the room before giving you a price. A good way to lower the price is to say what you dislike in the room.

Things to bring: pens are sold in the town but still welcomed as gifts, especially in monasteries in the countryside. A great gift idea is your old audio-tapes that you are about to throw away due to the advent of CDs. They still use tapes and would love them.

You will notice that some hotels and bus companies do not accept foreigners. This is because they do not have a license to do so.
Cedric Arnaud-Battandier, France (Nov 98)

There is a big difference between the hotel prices of the summer season and those in the winter.

You should not change your money at the Yangon airport as the exchange rate is very bad.

At Hsipaw you should visit the falls - it involves a very nice 4-5 hour walk between rice fields. Be sure to take some water with you.

In the surrounds of the Shwezigon Paya at Bagan, there are some caves with paintings on the walls. To get there you have to follow a small road parallel to the entrance.
Nathalie Stroobant & Robrecht Hoet, Belgium (Oct 98)

Cyclists take note: European 28" tyres (47-622)cannot be found here; they only have Indian/Chinese 28" tyres (40-635) which are bigger. You are okay with a 26" mountain bike.
Martin Schmidt, (Oct 98)

Mastercard recently withdrew from Myanmar and traders will no longer accept it. Amex and Visa are still OK.
Doug Foskett, Australian Embassy, Rangoon (Sep 98)

A visit to the Shan Palace is a must. The people living there are very interesting (a donation is suggested). There are one or two buses a day between Mandalay and Hsipaw. The trip is eight hours but the road is good. You should read "Twilight Over Burma," written by Inge Sargent. She was the Austrian born wife of the last Shan Prince of Hsipaw who disappeared in 1962 after Ne Win's coup. Of course it is not available in Myanmar but we found it in Bangkok. It is published by Silkworm books in Chiang Mai.

Bagan: if you go from Bagan to Mount Popa you should leave in the morning as the light is much better; the sun is behind it in the evening. Around 4pm near the crossroad to Mount Popa you can see many bullock carts waiting for water. They are very impressive.

Try Myanmar beer. It is just as good as Mandalay beer but cheaper.
Jacques & Liliane Chapon, France (Oct 98)

To avoid changing money into FECs on arrival: when attempting to procure my Myanmar visa in New York, I was asked to name the place where I would be staying (and to show proof thereof). So I made a reservation at one of the nicest places in town, the Pan Sea, Yangon, and faxed my reservation confirmation to the Consulate. Lo and behold, my visa came back stamped EVT Package Tour, which exempted me from the currency exchange requirement. Of course, all I had to do was subsequently cancel this reservation and I would have been allowed to enter without changing $300 and also without having to stay at the Pan Sea.
Baylor A Lancaster, USA (Aug 98)

As of now, the Chin State is unvisitable. Remember, whenever a tourist visits a place in Myanmar marked 'unvisitable', they risk the lives of the people who transport, house, or even talk to them.
Maria, USA (Apr 98)

Exchange of US$300 into FEC at immigration: it is not true that only US$ and UKú are accepted. Additionally, the German Mark and French Francs are officially accepted as well as a couple of other foreign exchange currencies.
Olaf Prawitt & Susanne Wanner, Germany (Mar 98)

There was a heavy military presence everywhere we went especially in the Kachin State, Sagaing and Mandalay divisions. Army and immigration police set up road blocks to give you a grilling.
Bill Wyett, UK (Mar 98)

You can usually exchange $300 between two people at the airport if on a short stay.
10% government tax is now included in quoted hotel rates.
Marilyn Staib, UK (Feb 98)

After travelling in Myanmar in October 1997 I found the best way to avoid paying the $300 mandatory exchange at the airport. After telling them you have no cash, you can insist that you had planned on putting the $300 on your credit card. Since they don't have the credit card machines at the airport, you can usually get through. Although exchanging cash doesn't pose a real inconvenience since you can exchange them once you get to Yangon for kyat, it's a good idea to avoid exchanging since it's a direct contribution to the government.
Robert Mayhew (Feb 98)

In Burma bring US dollars. Nobody wanted travellers checks and barely anyone took credit cards. Survived on cash. Fine hotels will deal with credit cards.
David Perlstein (Feb 98)

One place to discourage visitors from going to is Yangon Zoo. Not only does it have a fairly limited range of species but some are in quite bad condition, especially the Malay bears. Since the Lonely Planet Myanmar guide was published, they have started charging foreigners a $5 entrance fee, which is exorbitant in Myanmar terms for what the zoo has to offer.
Edwin Reavley, UK (Jan 98)

Don't change too much as a lot of hotels want dollars and at times kyatt can be difficult to change. One tip - if you can get the Consulate (in London) to put 'package tour' on the visa, they will not enforce the changing of US$300 to the dreaded FECs.
Rod Macleod, UK (Jan 98)

When you're leaving save those final FEC for airport departure tax (US$6), payable only in FEC.
Keith A Liker, USA (Dec 97)

There is now a third internal airline called Yangon Air in the same league as Air Mandalay. A piece of advice: when booking Air Mandalay tickets at the main office, ask about their agent discount prices. At their main office, we were quoted US$342 per person for a round trip from Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay, to Inlay and back to Yangon. When we questioned the price we were told that if we went to one of their agents they would sell us the tickets for $240. It's worth the hassle of trekking into town if you are going to save $100 each.
Iago & Caroline Cornelius-Jones, Indonesia (Jan 99)

The super sleeper train from Yangon to Mandalay is the most overpriced horror ever encountered. The roadbed is so bad the train lurches from side to side and jerks and rattles so it took two sleeping pills for me to be able to sleep. The cars have badly deteriorated so that you have to dump a can of water from the sink into the toilet for flushing purposes. The cars are also filthy, and the fridges don't work. There are insufficient blankets and no heat - it gets cold as you near Mandalay.
Dick Warren, USA (Jan 99)

If you are planning to travel north to Mandalay, do not take the train; the bus is more comfortable, costs four times less and provides you with five meals which are included in the ticket price.

One of the best methods of seeing Myanmar is to hire a van, as northern Myanmar is quite compact. My group paid US$300 for seven days which included the driver who doubled as a part time guide. We went from Mandalay to Mount Popa, and on to Pagan and Inle Lake. The rates can be negotiated, and the best thing is that your driver will make travelling easy.
Low Puay Hwa Roger, Singapore (Dec 98)

Buses from Rangoon to Pathien now run regularly all day. Pathien is a great little town and definitely recommended.
Raymond Lae, UK (Dec 98)

The government-owned train from Yangon to Mandalay is very expensive and slow; the bus is a better option.

The train from Pyin U Lwin to Hsipaw is also very slow; once again the bus is better. To compare: the bus from Mandalay to Hsipaw lasts as long as the train from Pyin Lwin to Hsipaw! You can catch the bus that comes from Mandalay at 9am or take the pick up which leaves at 6am.

Mount Popa: between 8-30am pick ups leave Nyaung for Mount Popa. You should ask how long they think it will take as some pick ups stop everywhere.

To get to Kalaw from Bagan you can take the bus to Inle Lake and ask the driver to drop you off at Kalaw.

Inle Lake-Kalaw: the first pick up to the main road Taungyi-Kalaw leaves when it is full, otherwise you pay for the missing passengers.
Nathalie Stroobant & Robrecht Hoet, Belgium (Oct 98)

Since the beginning of September 1998, the Rangoon Airport Tax has risen from US$6 to US$10, payable in FEC or cash.
Martin Schmidt (Oct 98)

Recently a Fokker-27 (Myanmar Airways) flying out of Burma crashed near Tachilek. The Tachilek airport has no radar and only an FM radio to guide planes in.
Andrea Smith, USA (Sep 98)

There is a new bridge being built across the Irrawaddy to the north of the town. We were told a new road was to be built to the Chinese border from there.
Alternative transport to Mandalay to ferry and rail is the 'Golden Lion Express Coach'. This runs from outside the library and community centre near the fire station. This journey is not for the faint-hearted. Book seats the day before, the earlier the better, as it's always full. The journey takes approximately 12 hours with two 'watering stops'.
Bill Wyett, UK (Mar 98)

It's better to buy Air Mandalay's tickets in a private agency than an official office. For example, Yangoon to Mandalay was US$100 but in the Air Mandalay office it was US$140. This is because Air Mandalay sells tickets at the beginning of the year for cheaper prices to private tourism agencies.
Ilknur-ilgihan (Mar 98)

Domestic flights: we would not recommend to book domestic flights operated by Air Mandalay or Yangon Airways directly at the office of the airlines, since the fares are approximately 15% cheaper when booked at a travel agency.
Olaf Prawitt & Susanne Wanner, Germany (Mar 98)

There are now direct trains to Bagan. Tickets can be obtained through MTT Yangon. Page 353, Myanmar guide: Three trains daily from Mottama to Yangon: 2am, 10am and 2pm. One-way, US$10. Tickets with the station master.
Robert J Smits, Netherlands (Feb 98)

We had decided to go to Mrauk-U by car and had already ordered, with the help of a travel agency in Yangon, a Landcruiser (for the horrible price of $110 per day) to come to Ngapali to pick us up, but on arrival the drivers swore that, according to their inquiries made in Thandwe, it was absolutely impossible to go by car, and in the end refused to head for Mrauk-U. It seems that in the rainy season many of the 22 bridges on the road have been destroyed and that road repairs yet to come make the trip really impossible.
Joachim Koster, Germany (Feb 98)

Myanmar Airways are still as hopeless. They just dropped an airplane when we were there. Their office at Yangon Airport resembles more a filthy canteen than anything else. The flight we were booked on was simply "not going" (no reasons, no excuses, nothing).
Matar & Claudia Dakhil (Feb 98)

There is now a new domestic airline called the Yangon Airline. Seems to be in pretty good condition.
David Lai (Jan 98)

Train tickets to Mandalay - If you want to buy tickets in advance, you need to go to a place on Bogyoke Aung San Street (close to 34 Street). We were able to book a sleeper two days in advance, for $46 including dinner, drinking water, and a cabin for two people. Of course, this is far more expensive than the bus (only $6) but much more comfortable, though shaky. It took 15 hours (bus: 15-20 hours, depending on flat tyres).
Ulrike Dorrie, Germany (Dec 97)

There is a brief, cursory customs check (after your bags have been checked through) upon departure. The only question asked of me was whether I purchased any jewellery. If you have, be ready to show it, AND the receipt from the government approved shop, otherwise it is likely to be confiscated. (I had no trouble, but the Dutch woman behind me had her Ruby necklace taken from her!)
Keith A Liker, USA (Dec 97)

Boats to Bagan (from Mandalay) leave now on a daily basis at 5.30 to 6am. You are no longer allowed to get on the boat the evening before departure. The fast boat takes about 10hrs, the slow boat (Thursday and Sunday) takes about 15 hours if you don't get stuck.
Ulrike Dorrie, Germany (Dec 97)

Yankin Hill has a whole complex of temples and monasteries running along the top of its ridge. With two staircases at either 'end' of the hill, you can walk the complete circuit - so take your shoes with you. You might be able to catch a lift back to the main entrance to collect your bikes.
At the first temple at the bottom of the hill, you must wash the three fish before proceeding - the monk will show you how. Pay a small donation to him. The second temple, at the top of the ridge, is the Temple of the Black Parrot, and has a very chatty monk permanently resident who will read your fortune for you, and try to sell you gems afterwards. (He is an ex-telecommunications engineer). In the centre of the ridge is the Golden Fish Cave. Again three fish - golden this time, which you must also wash. Allow at least a couple of hours to wander around. The microwave relay station in the middle of the ridge is an unusual but not wholly ugly distraction. The food stalls at the bottom serve good fried rice, noodles, soup, etc.
Iago & Caroline Cornelius-Jones, Indonesia (Jan 99)

Sagaing is a fantastic place! Much more impressive than Mandalay Hill and free too! Get a bus from Mandalay on the corner of 83rd and 29th. There are horse and carriages waiting at Sagaing to take you to the hill. You could easily spend a whole day at Sagaing. There are so many stupas up and down walkways.
Francis Dix & Jennifer West, UK (Jun 98)