Obtaining Tourist Visa For Myanmar - How?

[hunsen]

I'm planning a trip to Myanmar and am trying to get some info on obtaining a tourist visa.

I cannot find any official government website and am not sure whether you can get visa on arrival there at Yangon airport or in advance at the embassy in Bangkok.

Anyone have any recent info on this (what documents etc.. do you need to provide)- I have heard if you go to the embassy here in BK it can take many hours.

I am a British citizen.

thanks

[david96]

Try this website and follow the links, it may be of help.

http://www.myanmarvisa.com/mynembassylist.htm

[chutai]

Obtaining Tourist Visa For Myanmar - How?

Without wanting to appear pretentious, I'm prompted to ask - Why ? Particularly as the Burmese people themselves fully support requests that outsiders boycott, tacitly, supporting the Burmese Military Dictatorship in every way possible.

Edited February 16, 2008 by chutai

[hunsen]

David96 - I've tried that link but it doesn't really give out infomation - just tells about the services of an agency. (I never use agencies)

chutai - out of interest , how many Burmese people have you actually met?

Any country that you visit could be seen as 'tacitly supporting the government' there. (including the recent Thai military government)

Edited February 16, 2008 by hunsen

[chutai]

chutai - out of interest , how many Burmese people have you actually met?

Quite a few Burmese refugees in Thailand to be honest. And also keeping up with various pro-democracy movements centred on Burma. But one really doesn't have to be so well informed to know the validity of what I asked.

Any country that you visit could be seen as 'tacitly supporting the government' there. (including the recent Thai military government)

The events leading to the bloodless military coup in Thailand was an entirely different scenario to what's still happening in Burma my friend. That was six of one, half a dozen of the other and led to a democratic election. Something a very long way off in Burma, or so it seems; where bloody repression is still being excecuted on a daily basis (if you'll excuse the tasteless pun).

But of course the choice is entirely yours. I merely posited the question.

[david96]

David96 - I've tried that link but it doesn't really give out infomation - just tells about the services of an agency. (I never use agencies)

chutai - out of interest , how many Burmese people have you actually met?

Any country that you visit could be seen as 'tacitly supporting the government' there. (including the recent Thai military government)

Have you tried contacting the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok directly by telephone and as long as you are not a professional photographer, journalist and are "politically neutral" you should have minimal problems we hope.

Good Luck.

[frankthetank]

Myanmar Embassy

Consulate Section

19A Charles Street

Berkeley Square

London W1J 5DX

Myanmar Embassy: (020) 7499 8841

Call the above number, they will send or e-mail the forms to you.

the fee is £14.00

Applicatiion by post took me 5 days, sent by registered and included the fee for return by the same.

Was given 28 days entry in a 90 days window, single entry.

Do not have to exchange dollars for gov FEC.

Have to declare more than $2000, and must show purchase receipts or the cash on departure.

Do not use the airport money changers, ask the taxi driver, you will get something like 1200/1300Kt to $1.00

and that does buy quite a bit. Forget credit cards, and travellers cheques.

Regarding whether to go or not...up to you, just try not to spend money on any government operation, check out lonely planet etc for an idea.

My cousin, who lives in Yangon, told me to tell people to come to Myanmar, and make sure you bring some books, as the english speakers will be over the moon at having new things to read.

Have a nice trip, i did.

PM me if you want my cousins email, i am sure she will guide you if you wanted, fluent english.

[hunsen]

thanks for the info.

I am currently in Bangkok though so will have to go through the embassy of Myanmar here.

[Bill1234]

I'm planning a trip to Myanmar and am trying to get some info on obtaining a tourist visa.

I cannot find any official government website and am not sure whether you can get visa on arrival there at Yangon airport or in advance at the embassy in Bangkok.

Anyone have any recent info on this (what documents etc.. do you need to provide)- I have heard if you go to the embassy here in BK it can take many hours.

I am a British citizen.

thanks

You need to go very early to beat the agents at their own game, by memory the embassy opens at 0900, you need to be there at the door no later than 0500 to have any chance of getting a visa, they only issue so many per day and thats it, you need photo, you get application form there, if you're lucky one of the agents outside can give you one, you get a number and stand in the queue. Some of the agents have 20 or 30 passports so the days allowance goes very fast. The embassy doesn't give a dam_n when the numbers up and they don't make any announcements.

Myanmar is fabulous, I recommend getting the boat from Mandalay to Bagan, then hire a car to take u to Mt. Popa and on to Inle Lake.

[mikethediver]

I'm planning a trip to Myanmar and am trying to get some info on obtaining a tourist visa.

I cannot find any official government website and am not sure whether you can get visa on arrival there at Yangon airport or in advance at the embassy in Bangkok.

Anyone have any recent info on this (what documents etc.. do you need to provide)- I have heard if you go to the embassy here in BK it can take many hours.

I am a British citizen.

thanks

I don't think you can get one on arrival (at least not last year) so you will have to go to the embassy in Bangkok. You don't really need any documentation other than your passport & a couple of photos. There will be a queue and it may take 3/4 days. However...... there is a fast track visa service (offically) which costs twice the normal rate and is run by the security guys as you go into the embassy. We told them we couldn't wait 3 days for a visa and they gave us the forms which we filled in and they even took our photos and we picked our visa up the next day. Cant remeber how much it was but it was certainly cheaper than the visas for Vietnam & Cambodia. Never joined any queue, well worth the extra.

Take dollars. New, clean and unmarked. Dirty, torn or otherwise grubby notes will not be exchanged. They are no ATMs and no facilities for taking credit cards. The taxis from the airport will take dollars, so as already stated, do not change money at the airport, your guest house will change dollars for you at good rates. You could take your chances with the street changers but the rate is not much difference, (if fact it was worse unless you tell them what you got at the guest house).

Dont listern to the rubbush people speak about not visiting the place, It is really a great place to go, the people are friendly and there is a lot to see. If you spend your money with the locals how can that possibily be supporting the governemt regime?? People are people the world over.

Enjoy your trip it will be worthwhile.