Myanmar Visa In Bangkok - Via Travel Agency

[mpower]

Hi all,

I'm in Chiang Mai and for various reasons (time here being precious! visa expiring on a Sunday), I'm considering the following plan for getting a Myanmar visa:

a) mail passport two weeks in advance to BKK travel agency

have travel agency apply for the visa

c) confirm successful application and pick-up time

d) pick passport up from travel agency on day of flight

Obv this plan has risks involved but, given that they seem moderate to me i'm willing to go through with it.

Questions!

a) are the risks more than 'moderate'? am i being naive here!?

how much would a bkk travel agency charge for this service? anything above 2000 baht (in fact anything approaching that) for a two-week turnaround seems like a piss-take

c) could anyone recommend a cheap & reputable agency for me to contact?

Many thanks,

Marko

[ZXM]

Don't they do Visa on Arrival for Myanmar?

[planr]

Don't they do Visa on Arrival for Myanmar?

Only upon arrival at the Yangon airport. If you're flying into another airport (like Mandalay) or crossing the border on land, you need to have the visa already in your passport.

[up-country_sinclair]

^ Are you 100% sure of this? I thought the only visa available on arrival was for business.

[planr]

^ Are you 100% sure of this? I thought the only visa available on arrival was for business.

I did the business visa on arrival in January (still in Burma actually) and there were people in the queue getting tourist visas (also called "Entry Visas").

According to the Burmese government's website, you can do VOA at Mandalay now as well as Yangon - http://www.mip.gov.mm/visaonarrival/ - but I have no first hand experience with that

[HappyInCM]

^ Are you 100% sure of this? I thought the only visa available on arrival was for business.

I did the business visa on arrival in January (still in Burma actually) and there were people in the queue getting tourist visas (also called "Entry Visas").

According to the Burmese government's website, you can do VOA at Mandalay now as well as Yangon - http://www.mip.gov.mm/visaonarrival/ - but I have no first hand experience with that

It specifically says Meetings, Workshops, Events - no mention of tourist entry visa

[SeaVisionBurma]

Please note very carefully:

Although the term Visa On Arrival is used in relation to Myanmar visas, the reality is that you cannot simply arrive there and expect to have a visa issued.

They need to be pre-arranged prior to travel.

The government website indicates that there is a Visa On Arrival service, but it is not active.

OP - I'm aware of travel agencies in Bangkok charging about 3,000 baht for a tourist visa service, so this would mean around 2,000 of that is their fees, costs and some profit.

If you can spare a day in Bangkok you can do a same day turnaround for your visa and it will cost you 1,250 baht. Submit application in the morning, collect passport in afternoon.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to ask more questions.

SVB

[joepattaya1961]

I entered Birma on a VOA a few months ago.

As SeaVisionBirma stated, you can enter on a VOA, but everything has to be taken of while outside of Birma.

I used the services of an agency http://www.myanmarvisaonline.com/

Did everything online and especially, did everything they asked for.

Went down (or up) to Birma and the exiting the plane everything was perfectly arranged........guide directed me to the VOA booth, papers were ready and waiting and after getting the visa-stamp at immigration, the guide was waiting to settle the bill of USD 75.-

Not particularly cheap, but absolute hassle-free and perfect communications through email.

BTW the guide at Yangon airport didn't leave until he was sure that I got a decent cab.

[SeaVisionBurma]

OP - There is also a dedicated Myanmar Forum, with a section on visas - you may find other related information there.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/165-myanmar-forum/

Let me know if you want this topic moved there to the Myanmar Visas section - if so a link will remain in the Bangkok section also.

Might get more replies regarding the agent scenario

[sabaijai]

Why don't you obtain your Myanmar visa through a Chiang Mai travel agency? I've done it there several times.