Driving Own Car In Burma

[Tomtomtom69]

I have driven my own vehicle into Myanmar twice legally, via Tachileik. That appears to be the only legal land crossing for private vehicles.

I think it might be possible to bring a car to Kawthoung, opposite Ranong province, as well, if you can find a way to ferry the vehicle.

nope. kawthoung is impossible atm. immigration is very strict in upcountry travels (no matter how you wish to move on, by car, by bike, by bus, by foot, whatever). 20 miles out of town you will be returned [unless you obtained a permit]. some backpackers claim they managed to do it on a bike but i'm not sure that is actually true. oddly though, the other way, let's say from myeik to kawthoung by bus is doable but if you get off and stay for the night in any of the southern towns (which have a "hotel"), you will get questions (and instructions such as don't leave town borders) from immigration and intelligence.

technically thai can enter at tachileik (up to mongla), 3 pagodas (around town only but i'm pretty sure this will change soon as the situation is pretty stable with the NMSP), htee kee (up to dawei area), myawaddy (up to moulmein area, has recently been impossible due to DKBA toll-gate issues) and singkhon (up to myeik). it's pretty easy for thai to get the paperwork done, most thai do these trips for budhist purposes AKA wat-hopping.

op can PM me for more infos. however there's a lot of pain in the *ss involved driving a car in burma.

it goes without saying farang need visas too in advance except for mong la where a permit can be obtained in tachileik, unless they changed this [again] recently.

i'm very often in the south of the country [for many many years] and the road between myeik and dawei (and then up to ye, moulmein, aso) is getting substantially improved BUT it's still nothing compared to Thai "highways" ... road between myeik and kawthough is still a disaster

Thanks for this report. However, I have read confirmed reports of foreigners travelling overland between Kawthoung and Myeik (both directions) since 2014. In theory, this shouldn't be a problem since Aug 28, 2013 anyway, which is the date 4 Thai-Myanmar border crossings opened. Now that the ferries have been cancelled, it's been confirmed that bus travel to/from Kawthoung is allowed and why shouldn't it be? What have the Burmese immigration authorities been so paranoid about all this time in that safe region? All you have along the way are palm oil and rubber plantations anyway. Surely some of the foreigners going to that region could even be agricultural consultants or something, not merely tourists.

Can't bring a Thai car from Ranong to Kawthoung except with special permission, nor are Burmese cars allowed to enter Ranong. Also, given there are no car ferries and the amount of paperwork, time and expense required, it would be too tedious, hence no local, even if they could, would bother doing it. It's a different story at other borders where one can just drive across the border.

As for the other border crossings you've mentioned - for Thais to leave Myawady they need a passport and visa. A border pass is only valid in Myawady itself, max. 12km from the border. Myawady is the border I've crossed most often. Can also bring a car across as I did last year, but only for a day trip (you can stay overnight with a visa but the car can't). Similarly, Burmese cars can't stay overnight in Mae Sot and can only travel within Mae Sot district, not more than 10km from the border. Checkpoints on the outskirts of town will stop all Burmese vehicles and prevent them from traveling further.

Tachilek is similar, although it's possible for Thais to head to Mong La on the Chinese border (just like us) without pre-arranging a visa in advance. However, they must return the way they came in this case. I haven't heard of a border pass being acceptable though except for stays within Tachilek township - I think they would need a passport too to leave town.

Ban Phu Nam Ron/Htee Khee - yep that's an international crossing though I'm surprised that Thais would be allowed to travel to Dawei without a passport and visa. I plan on going through there with my Thai wife after the end of the rainy season - she will be applying for a Myanmar visa and bringing her passport along because I doubt she will be allowed to go further than Htee Khee otherwise.

I've heard Three Pagodas will open up as an international crossing eventually, but the Burmese news has mentioned a new crossing in Mae Hong Son province as more likely in the near term.

Dan Singkorn to Myeik is the only border crossing that allows Thais to cross all the way to Myeik, presumably with only a border pass. I find it strange that they haven't opened that border to foreigners too - since they allow Thais (who are foreigners in Myanmar) foreigners from third countries should have been allowed from the very beginning. I would expect the new government in Naypyidaw to make a ruling soon that will upgrade that crossing to allow all of us to cross there.

[Tomtomtom69]

Latest updates:

According to the Irrawaddy, the Three Pagodas Pass is unlikely to open as an international crossing (or local trading post) any time soon, due to land demarkation issues. This is probably the reason the border has been mostly shut since 2007, though there have also been security issues but they are now largely resolved.

http://www.irrawaddy.com/burma/thai-burmese-border-dispute-holds-up-trading-post.html

There is also a story running about how the procedures for requesting permission to enter the country by car have been simplified, but no one knows what this means in practice. I highly doubt it will result in an average traveller being allowed to just show up at the border with their car, and expect to be allowed to roam the country.

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/lifestyle/travel/20680-border-crossings-opened-to-caravan-tours.html​

[Asiang]

Hello, any update on this ? Still not possible to drive from Thailand to Myanmar ? Thanks.

[jimster]

On 10/28/2016 at 10:53 AM, Asiang said:

Hello, any update on this ? Still not possible to drive from Thailand to Myanmar ? Thanks.

Apart from near the border, nope. In fact, a few years ago drivers in Tachilek (opposite Mae Sai) protested that Thai cars could cross too easily and were taking away their business because they used to be allowed to drive all the way to Kengtung (Chiang Tung) and even Mong La (Mong Lar) on the Chinese border and back, without making pre-arrangements but since that ended Thai cars can't leave Tachilek township. For travel beyond the border areas, a permit and guide are still required, and this requires contacting an agent a minimum of 3-4 weeks (and preferably 2 months) in advance of the intended travel dates.

 

There is not likely to be any change to this ruling anytime soon. Not next year or even the year after. Buses and trucks might be allowed in further than the border areas after 2019, but cars, unlikely.

[phuketrichard]

You can drive ur car in but

1.need be on an official tour

OR

2.pay big $$ arrange permission with tour agent and have a guide and goverment official with you for the whole trip, cost $2,000+++

BUT why dig up a 10month old post to coment on   LOL

[jimster]

On 8/26/2017 at 9:06 AM, phuketrichard said:

You can drive ur car in but

1.need be on an official tour

OR

2.pay big $$ arrange permission with tour agent and have a guide and goverment official with you for the whole trip, cost $2,000+++

BUT why dig up a 10month old post to coment on   LOL

Because nobody bothered to post a reply to the dude's question. So why did it take you 10 months to respond, when you're usually the first dude to respond to these type of enquiries?

 

The cost may be a lot less than this...depends on your itinerary and how many cars/travellers in your group. Thai travel agents can arrange tours in the hundreds of USD rather than US$2000+. But you are right that it takes time, planning and a willingness to spend a bit of money.