10 Bucks Or 500 Baht?

[uptheos]

I find it bizarre how many farang think and post that you can tell the Myanmar Immigration Officers that you don't have 500 baht and that will force them to accept your $10. They may accept your story because they just don't want to deal with you but they could easily insist on 500 baht. They know you just left Thailand and they know you are going back in an hour or so. No one is walking around with less than 500 baht in their pocket and many Thai visas require you to show 10,000 baht or more at Thai Immigration (although rarely asked). All the Myanmar Immigration Officer has to do is calmly say "No. Go back to Thailand. Get 500 baht." How many of you will stand your ground and refuse to leave or pay baht when the Myanmar Police show up?

Well said.

[ratcliffe]

For me they accepted my 10$ my partner behind me they refused, only Thai money, when they had just accepted mine. Think it depends on who you get on the day!!!!

[whatsupdoc]

For me they accepted my 10$ my partner behind me they refused, only Thai money, when they had just accepted mine. Think it depends on who you get on the day!!!!

Went there last weekend and had no problem when I offered a crisp 10 USD bill. Never had any problems in the past either.

[mcgriffith]

So let's not all get a headache on this issue.

My suggestion is do what I do. Take a crisp new latest issue USD 10 bill.

Have a 500 THB note in another fold of the wallet.

Offer the 10 USD note.

If its slapped down (rejected), just give the officer the 500 THB.

Really, this is not a life or death issue.

Don't really care about the corruption of border officials, etc. Pretty much every country in the world, including the EU and the US, have border officials (whether customs or immigration) involved with graft.

The problem is the policy- the Myanmar gov't should just make it 500 THB, or $10 USD. Period, full stop.

For the record, last time I was there in July 2011 I paid 500 THB.

[Thighlander]

One time, an older officer refused my ten, for a very small mark.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

McGriff has the right idea. Why not? save 200 baht by being prepared and willing to play a little poker.

200 baht is a decent massage or like 5 of the big Changs.

[nikster]

Never had a problem with $10 but I usually forget to do it... just change 300 odd baht outside at one of the many money exchange shops & save 200 Baht. Note to would be poker players: If you're going to bluff you better go all the way with it, be prepared to "walk back to Thailand to get Baht" (which you actually won't have to do, just go in the direction...)....

It's just 200 baht but why let them rip you off?

[Thighlander]

10s are not readily available at the cambios in mae sai...

[Strawberryfields]

10USD always worked for me, except last November, but then... I went on a busy Saturday and I crossed the border at the end of the day (and didn't have a lot of time to shop) But I really think it depends on the 'guy' collecting the fee.

[el jefe]

I find it bizarre how many farang think and post that you can tell the Myanmar Immigration Officers that you don't have 500 baht and that will force them to accept your $10. They may accept your story because they just don't want to deal with you but they could easily insist on 500 baht. They know you just left Thailand and they know you are going back in an hour or so. No one is walking around with less than 500 baht in their pocket and many Thai visas require you to show 10,000 baht or more at Thai Immigration (although rarely asked). All the Myanmar Immigration Officer has to do is calmly say "No. Go back to Thailand. Get 500 baht." How many of you will stand your ground and refuse to leave or pay baht when the Myanmar Police show up?

The Myanmar officer demanding 500bht is a corrupt officer.

If you give him 500bht he then changes the 500bht into $10 to pass on to his commanding officer (pocketing 200bht).

I would think it unlikely he wants the chance of his corruption being overly exposed.

After all, it is his country he is really cheating.

I'm completely confident he will accept the $10 that his country requires in the end.

I'm pretty sure that the way it works is that the commanding officer gets 150 of the 200 baht, with the Immigration officer who demanded the 500 baht keeping the remaining 50. I don't understand how he's cheating his country at all.

The solution would be to change the fee to $16 or 500 baht. But, of course, then the Myanmar govt would have to pay higher wages to make up for the shortfall the officers now pocket.

[uptheos]

It's a scam, just accept what cards are dealt you at the time.

Anyone who has travelled in Burma knows it's a dollar economy and only US dollars or Kyat are accepted. Outside of Yangon, Mandalay, Moulemein, Bagan and a few other places, you can't even get rid of dollars. I guarantee the border guards have to pay their daily takings in dollars after changing everything up with whoever they deal with.

[CMHomeboy78]

Here's an update for anyone planning to go into Tachilek.

I drove up yesterday, Sunday, March 4th.

It's become a very quick procedure to enter Burma. No more long waits, multiple photocopies of your passport, visa photos, etc.

I was asked for the 500 baht fee. I replied by asking if they would accept $10. It was a crisp new bill and they took it without hesitation

That's how things went. For what it's worth.