Yangon To Bangkok Over Land?

[pepi2005]

Hello,

I am thinking about traveling back from Yangon to Bangkok overland ... but is this even possible/allowed?

If so, what's the way to go`... are there buses for that, or would I have to do this trip on pickups,... ]-)

Also, if anyone knows - what's the smoothest way to get the visa? (I'm an EU citizen)

thanks,

p.

[keeniau96]

Lots of luck, bring camera and much small money for bribes etc. Would make a good magazine writeup if you make it to the border. Could write it up in the hospital while recovering.

[apetley]

Burma has a ban on overland travel by foreigners to the border crossings with Thailand.

[keestha]

But I heard it was possible to cross into Burma at Mae Sai/Tachilek, and travel all the way to the Chinese border, and going back into Thailand at the same crossing. Of course things like this change frequently, am not sure if this still applies.

[gotlost]

You could check here.........

NOTE: The Myanmar Embassy for foreign visas is located on Thanon Pan, just near the corner of North Sathorn Road. It is NOT located on North Sathorn Road (that part of the embassy is for Myanmar nationals only)

Myanmar Embassy, Thailand.

132 North Sathorn Road.
10500.
Bangkok.
Thailand.
Phone:.
+66-2-233-2237.
+66-2-234-4698.
+66-2-233-7250.
+66-2-234-0320.
+66-2-637-9406.
Fax:.
+66-2-236-6898.
Email:.
[email protected].

[Lakegeneve]

But I heard it was possible to cross into Burma at Mae Sai/Tachilek, and travel all the way to the Chinese border, and going back into Thailand at the same crossing. Of course things like this change frequently, am not sure if this still applies.

This is correct and the policy was changed a few years years ago for this crossing only. All other border crossings into Burma will not permit travel beyond the town limits (Mae Sot and Ranong) . The one exception to this rule is if one is travelling to a casino outside the town limit!

One can cross at Mae Sai into Tachilek and you'll be asked if you want the day visa ($5) or the 14 day visa ($10) which permits onwards travel to Kengtung and Mong La (Yunnan) ONLY. If you already have a Burmese visa from the embassy (I use Burmese intentionally BTW) then you'll get a 28 day border pass which is sort of useless as you cannot go anywhere except towards Mong La.

I last did a crossing in Burma at Tachilek in Aug 09 and this info was correct at that time.

However, always check with the embassy first for the latest info as any offensive near the Chinese border (as there was 6 months ago for a few weeks) will mean that travel beyond Tachilek is prohibited. I also suspect that travel will be heavily restricted during the 'showcase' elections this year.

[Fore Man]

I crossed into Burma via the Chedi Sam Ong border point a few years back...and there were no controls on where I went once across. The 'entry pass' was good for 24-hours. In fact, we simply drove our rented van up to the famous wat and the nearby bustling market to do some shopping. The Burmese border guard, a major...who spoke a little English and practically no Thai, immediately accused me of being an espionage agent for a certain American agency, which I vociferously denied. Apparently, very few Americans or other Westerners ever travel up to that border point and he was amazed to see one then. He asked me "where do you come from?" to which I replied "California". He chewed on this a moment and then pointed his finger at me and said "Hollywood!". I instantly morphed into a friendly movie director doing film location studies, and we became fast friends. This officer then asked for a bribe ("can you give me three pictures of George Washington please Sir"). Which I gladly handed over to him as I had some small U.S. bills in my wallet.

Even with so-called official travel permission to enter this forbidding country, my advice is to be very, very careful what you say, where you go and what you do. Nothing is as it seems. My own trip there could have turned bad as I was completely under the whim of this border guard. With a practically-new van worth a lot of money in that country and no helpful witnesses, my driver and I could have simply vanished and nobody would have been the wiser. This happens in Burma/Myanmar and it could happen to you. I certainly wasn't thinking straight when I decided to make that long trek up from Kanchaburi, and would never think of trying such a stunt again.

Watch your six!

[Lakegeneve]

Three Pagodas Pass is not an official immigration point between both countries for foreigners although as you point out one can recieve a pass to briefly enter Burma for a limited period. (Locals can cross here)

However, it is one of 4 new border crossing points that are currently being evaluated for opening;

4 more border checkpoints with Burma, The Nation, December 15, 2009

In a bid to boost cross-border trade with Burma, the government will support the opening of four more border checkpoints next year.

They will be at Huay Ton Nun, Mae Hong Son/Shan State: Ban Nam Khao, Kanchanaburi/Tavoy; Three Pagodas Pass, Kanchanaburi/Taya Thon Zu; and Dan Singkhon, Prachuap Khiri Khan/My Eik. Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot yesterday said the government would open these checkpoints as soon as possible, in order to facilitate trade, investment and tourism between the two countries.

At present, there are only three checkpoints linking Thailand and Burma.

After meeting with ministers in Burma, Alongkorn also said both nations had agreed to support the construction of a friendship bridge connecting Tak's Mae Sot district with Burma. The two nations will soon set up a subcommittee to identify an exact location and set up a construction schedule, he said.

[LaoPo]

But I heard it was possible to cross into Burma at Mae Sai/Tachilek, and travel all the way to the Chinese border, and going back into Thailand at the same crossing. Of course things like this change frequently, am not sure if this still applies.

This is correct and the policy was changed a few years years ago for this crossing only. All other border crossings into Burma will not permit travel beyond the town limits (Mae Sot and Ranong) . The one exception to this rule is if one is travelling to a casino outside the town limit!

One can cross at Mae Sai into Tachilek and you'll be asked if you want the day visa ($5) or the 14 day visa ($10) which permits onwards travel to Kengtung and Mong La (Yunnan) ONLY. If you already have a Burmese visa from the embassy (I use Burmese intentionally BTW) then you'll get a 28 day border pass which is sort of useless as you cannot go anywhere except towards Mong La.

I last did a crossing in Burma at Tachilek in Aug 09 and this info was correct at that time.

However, always check with the embassy first for the latest info as any offensive near the Chinese border (as there was 6 months ago for a few weeks) will mean that travel beyond Tachilek is prohibited. I also suspect that travel will be heavily restricted during the 'showcase' elections this year.

Thanks for the info Lakegeneve; much appreciated !

some questions:

1. how do you travel from Mae Sai/Tachilek to the border at Mong La/Yunnan ? by bus or private hired van ? And how long does that take ? If you travel that route I suppose you need a visa (in advance) for China ?

2. Is there a route via Laos to travel to the border with China also ? If so, is that more easy than the Burma route?

Cheers

LaoPo

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Hello,

So i guess that traveling from MAE SOT to YANGOON by bus is also not possible ?

Where can you go in Myanmar when crossing the border near MAE SOT ?

Thanks.

[Tomtomtom69]

Hello,

So i guess that traveling from MAE SOT to YANGOON by bus is also not possible ?

Where can you go in Myanmar when crossing the border near MAE SOT ?

Thanks.

First of all, there are no cross-border bus services between Mae Sot to Yangon, only Myawaddy to Yangon. However, it may be possible to use these services if you get government permission first. I'm not sure how much they charge though.

Otherwise, relatively soon this route should be opened to everyone officially, but when is unclear.

[Tomtomtom69]

I crossed into Burma via the Chedi Sam Ong border point a few years back...and there were no controls on where I went once across. The 'entry pass' was good for 24-hours. In fact, we simply drove our rented van up to the famous wat and the nearby bustling market to do some shopping. The Burmese border guard, a major...who spoke a little English and practically no Thai, immediately accused me of being an espionage agent for a certain American agency, which I vociferously denied. Apparently, very few Americans or other Westerners ever travel up to that border point and he was amazed to see one then. He asked me "where do you come from?" to which I replied "California". He chewed on this a moment and then pointed his finger at me and said "Hollywood!". I instantly morphed into a friendly movie director doing film location studies, and we became fast friends. This officer then asked for a bribe ("can you give me three pictures of George Washington please Sir"). Which I gladly handed over to him as I had some small U.S. bills in my wallet.

Even with so-called official travel permission to enter this forbidding country, my advice is to be very, very careful what you say, where you go and what you do. Nothing is as it seems. My own trip there could have turned bad as I was completely under the whim of this border guard. With a practically-new van worth a lot of money in that country and no helpful witnesses, my driver and I could have simply vanished and nobody would have been the wiser. This happens in Burma/Myanmar and it could happen to you. I certainly wasn't thinking straight when I decided to make that long trek up from Kanchaburi, and would never think of trying such a stunt again.

Watch your six!

As of late 2012/early 2013, every time I go up to the Three Pagodas Pass there are foreigners including westerners there, every time - foreigners are hardly rare in that area. A few weeks ago I also saw 2 Malaysian registered vehicles that were probably hoping to cross into Myanmar there but later on I spotted them in Sangkhlaburi as they obviously weren't allowed across. So what was true in 2010, is no longer true now. Foreigners are only rare in Payathonzu on the Burmese side since they have not officially re-opened that crossing for foreigners yet. However, having said that the Burmese town of Payathonzu is currently being evaluated for re-opening, as currently it is not officially open for foreigners (it is open to Thais since about 1 year on day passes only that restrict travel to the city and it's outskirts - no overnight stays are allowed though). Despite this, I have crossed 4 times unofficially into Burmese territory there to visit a customer I have been dealing with that sells produce on the Thai side. On my third visit, as I was crossing back into Thailand, a Burmese guard saw me and indicated that I should immediately return to Thailand - having said that I wasn't deterred from making my fourth crossing a couple of weeks later. Of course this was not a good idea and since those people live just behind the market, which is only a stone's throw from Myanmar immigration it is no surprise that getting spotted there is easy. Within 2 years this crossing will open - all the way to Yangon I keep hearing from local sources.

I am wondering if you crossed the border officially at that time - if yes, I don't understand why you are making such a fuss. Probably the worst that could happen if you cross officially and end up crossing into a restricted area is being turned back - however, if you cross unofficially like I did you are obviously setting yourself up for possible trouble, though if you are near the border you will probably just be turned back.

[Tomtomtom69]

But I heard it was possible to cross into Burma at Mae Sai/Tachilek, and travel all the way to the Chinese border, and going back into Thailand at the same crossing. Of course things like this change frequently, am not sure if this still applies.

This is correct and the policy was changed a few years years ago for this crossing only. All other border crossings into Burma will not permit travel beyond the town limits (Mae Sot and Ranong) . The one exception to this rule is if one is travelling to a casino outside the town limit!

One can cross at Mae Sai into Tachilek and you'll be asked if you want the day visa ($5) or the 14 day visa ($10) which permits onwards travel to Kengtung and Mong La (Yunnan) ONLY. If you already have a Burmese visa from the embassy (I use Burmese intentionally BTW) then you'll get a 28 day border pass which is sort of useless as you cannot go anywhere except towards Mong La.

I last did a crossing in Burma at Tachilek in Aug 09 and this info was correct at that time.

However, always check with the embassy first for the latest info as any offensive near the Chinese border (as there was 6 months ago for a few weeks) will mean that travel beyond Tachilek is prohibited. I also suspect that travel will be heavily restricted during the 'showcase' elections this year.

Thanks for the info Lakegeneve; much appreciated !

some questions:

1. how do you travel from Mae Sai/Tachilek to the border at Mong La/Yunnan ? by bus or private hired van ? And how long does that take ? If you travel that route I suppose you need a visa (in advance) for China ?

2. Is there a route via Laos to travel to the border with China also ? If so, is that more easy than the Burma route?

Cheers

LaoPo

Yes, going via Laos is easy and has been possible for many years now. There are no restrictions, there are even direct buses from Huay Xai to Kunming, meaning once you cross from Thailand you can get on a bus and arrive in China without changing buses. The Myanmar route is still fraught with difficulties, although things are becoming easier.