Border Run At Ranong, Can I Also Stay A Few Days In Myanmar And Go Snorkeling On The Islands?

[GoGet]

So, I have a double entry visa that I obtained from Vientiane.

The first period if I can call it that is about to expire and it's time for a border run.

I have considered my options and I am looking into going to Ranong.

Now that I make some research I see that there might be good snorkeling on those Myanmar islands.

Could anyone confirm to me that:

1) It's possible for me to buy a visa to Myanmar at the border which lets me stay for a while on the islands (how much is it by the way)

2) There actually are snorkeling opportunities on the Myanmar islands near Ranong.

GoGet

Edited December 12, 2012 by GoGet

[GoGet]

No replies, how come?

[tjhorner]

No replies, how come?

Try posting this question in the visa forums area..... I was gonna do a quick hop across the border and found some info on google.... IIRC, I think you might not be allowed to go much beyond the city.

[endure]

Moved to the visa forum

[bendejo]

There is a sign at the shack where the visas are issued that says you cannot go more than 3km from town (or was it 5km?).

I would think that any boat traveling other than the "visa run" route will draw attention.

If you have a non-Asian face that will certainly draw attention wherever you go in that area. There is also a lot of monkey business going on around there, so even if you look Asian you'll be asked for your documents often.

Once when doing a visa run I was given a thorough search at that little Burmese island with the big statue, they even had me empty my pockets. I've done maybe a dozen runs since then and it never happened again. Best not to carry any bags while doing the boat trip.

[Mosha]

Club Andaman organise trips and you get a 2 week stamp in your passport

[ubonjoe]

Are you aware that you can extend your 60 day entry by 30 days at immigration. Then make border run just before your visa expires getting another 60 days that can also be extended.

You should check Myanmar visa forum for more info on a visa for there.

Edited December 13, 2012 by ubonjoe

[Tomtomtom69]

Club Andaman organise trips and you get a 2 week stamp in your passport

That's what I would recommend too. But anyway, as of about 8 years ago (and I doubt the regulations have changed as Myanmar is still a mess, especially in border areas) you could get a 3 day pass on arrival for US$10 at the checkpoint at Victoria Pass (Kawthoung) but it may not be valid outside the city limits. On the other hand, I believe an ordinary visa may allow you to take a boat further up the coast to other cities since overland travel is after all these years still restricted. If Myanmar finally gets its act together they could cash in on a Thai-style tourism boom in the southern parts of the country.

[Shot]

No replies, how come?

Contact Andaman Club directly. Looking at their websight, looks like they can arrange snorkiling http://www.andamanclub.com/recreation.html

[Nana Cowboy]

Andaman club is excellent, no need to fool with anything else

[SeaVisionBurma]

Lets clarify a couple of points - most of the info so far is correct.

No overland travel is permitted when entering Myanmar at Kawthoung - ie you will need to exit from Kawthoung, and you cannot travel on to other places in Myanmar.

With some advance arrangements - you can be issued with a 1 month tourist visa at the Kawthoung entry point, which is normally used by tourists who want to visit the islands in the Mergui Archipelago, ie as per the OPs question.

There are a few companies that can assist with this - try contacting Moby Dick tours and asking them what they can arrange.

They may try to sell you a liveaboard tour - which can be pricey and is probably not what you're after.

However they may be able to assist with getting a longer permit than the usual border run in/out stamp. (please note I have no affilliation with them, just making a suggestion as I am fairly sure they are still active and actually have an office in Kawthoung)

In and around Kawthoung itself there are no good spots for snorkelling - you need to get further away. If your permit allows, and you can arrange a boat - try getting further North into the islands, there are some really stunning spots.

Have a look at this video for some idea about what there is to see around the islands in the Mergui Archipelago...

[Mosha]

Club Andaman organise trips and you get a 2 week stamp in your passport

BTW just to clarify. You get a 2 week stamp to stay in Myanmar/Burma