Myanmar Opening 3 Overland Routes to Foreigners in August

[SeaVisionBurma]

Several news articles have now reported the opening of 3 major foreign border crossings to allow overland travel to foreigners commencing some time in August.

Photo: Mae Sai (via DVB article below)

This will end decades of restrictions which effectively meant that foreigners could not enter Myanmar through one land border and then exit by any other border point.

The 3 initial border points, all with Thailand, are:

Shan State via Tachilek

Karen State via Myawaddy

Tanintharyi Division via Kawthoung

http://www.mizzima.com/news/regional/9763-thai-myanmar-border-crossings-open-to-tourists

http://www.dvb.no/news/immigration-officials-relax-restrictions-for-tourists-travelling-overland/31227?goback=.gde_4537987_member_261817101

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.asp?id=156266

More information to follow - please post confirmed dates with a credible link if you can expand on the above.

[craigt3365]

Great stuff! Can't wait to try one.

[SeaVisionBurma]

No firm dates yet, will see what I can dig up - however this does confirm my earlier report about this several months ago relating to overland travel from Kawthoung (ie entering from Ranong in Thailand, then travelling overland without special permits to Yangon or other areas)

This opens up some excellent opportunities for travel inside Myanmar without having to backtrack to Yangon or Mandalay to fly out.

[frimu]

If that is true I'm looking forward to make a trip of Southern Myanmar soon. :-)

Good for me and their tourism.

[hansnl]

You might say that Myanmar is opening the attack on Thai tourism.

[Salapoo]

That's good. But let's see where they are.

Kawthoung: Off Ranong in Thailand. Google Map

Tachilek: Off just about the most Northerly Point in Thailand. Google Map

Myawaddy: Next to Mae Sot in Tak. Google Map

You could always do a stamp in and out in Mae Sot anyway.

So good news, but not great. Get one open within 3-4 hours driving from BKK and they'd make a mint with border runners.

[artvarkk]

I'm going to a town called Ye in mid-August. Not confirmed if foreigners are permitted to travel by land from Yangon-Moulmein-Ye and south to Dawei. Can fly to Dawei from Yangon, then travel by land north to Ye, but the last time I checked, there is a 'black zone' between Moulmein and Ye. Does anyone know if the restriction has been lifted?

[artvarkk]

I'm going to a town called Ye in mid-August. Not confirmed if foreigners are permitted to travel by land from Yangon-Moulmein-Ye and south to Dawei. Can fly to Dawei from Yangon, then travel by land north to Ye, but the last time I checked, there is a 'black zone' between Moulmein and Ye. Does anyone know if the restriction has been lifted?

[SeaVisionBurma]

That's good. But let's see where they are.

Kawthoung: Off Ranong in Thailand. Google Map

Tachilek: Off just about the most Northerly Point in Thailand. Google Map

Myawaddy: Next to Mae Sot in Tak. Google Map

You could always do a stamp in and out in Mae Sot anyway.

So good news, but not great. Get one open within 3-4 hours driving from BKK and they'd make a mint with border runners.

This isn't about border runs - it is about being able to travel overland within Myanmar once you cross the border - something that has been near impossible to do for some decades.

The border points mentioned have always been available for a quick in-out border run.

[0zz1]

fantastic news... i wonder if I can take Thai registered motorbike over from Tachilek and drive down to Kawthoung ?

[DagonKhan]

Somewhat related...

There was an article on the Eleven Media website which I read yesterday about the number of tourists arriving in Myanmar. Thai's topped that list. That may have something to do with it.

Edit:

Thai visitors on top of Yangon's foreign arrivals

Thais are on top of the list of foreign visitors received by the Yangon International Airport from January to mid-July, according to official figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

Over 366,000 visitors entered through the country's main gateway over the past seven months and the majority of them were from Asia, which accounted for more than 235,000 tourists. It was a considerable increased compared to the same period last year saw 165,000.

Among the Asian tourists, over 52,000 visitors were from Thailand, followed by Japan with over 33,000 visitors and China with 24,000 visitors.

Chinese tourists ranked fourth place this year, a drop from third place on the same period last year.

The airport has also received over 76,000 visitors from Western Europe, nearly 31,000 from North America, over 13,000 from Oceania, over 5,000 from Eastern Europe, over 2,000 from other Americas, over 1,600 from the Middle East, and over 1,500 from Africa.

The airport receives an average of over 1,800 visitors daily, compared to only 1,300 visitors last year.

In 2006, Myanmar saw a surge in tourist arrivals, but the tourism industry suffered three consecutive years of decline afterwards, following the Saffron Revolution and the Cyclone Nargis.

The tourism industry started to recover in 2010 due to political changes in the country and tourists became more interested in Myanmar due to news coverage by foreign media.

Tourists' interest in Myanmar continues to increase after 2011 and the country reached its goal of receiving over 1 million visitors last year.

http://elevenmyanmar.com/tourism/2912-thai-visitors-on-top-of-yangon-s-foreign-arrivals

[SeaVisionBurma]

fantastic news... i wonder if I can take Thai registered motorbike over from Tachilek and drive down to Kawthoung ?

A very good question Ozz1 - something I am just in the middle of discussing.

Will post back if I find out something - would welcome any info from other members about this.

[belg]

myanmar has beaches, they only need hotels

and guess what... foreingers will built them and guess who ... THAIS and guess what... they will earn their business for 100% and guess what, 100% of the profits will flee out of the country

a bit like thais are accusing farangs to do here... except their will own their own business and profits

[Salapoo]

This isn't about border runs - it is about being able to travel overland within Myanmar once you cross the border - something that has been near impossible to do for some decades.

The border points mentioned have always been available for a quick in-out border run.

They have. And every border crossing will be related to border runs. How many from Phuket go to Kawthoung, and how many from Chiang Mai go to Mae Sot or Mae Sai. Literally bus loads.

For there not to be a border crossing within a viable distance from Bangkok is a crying shame. The sooner they open either Singkhorn or a crossing in Kanchanaburi to foreigners the better for everyone.

On another note, those who do border runs at the said crossings, I wonder if they will still be doing cheap $10 one day stamps or if they will have to buy a full visa.

[SeaVisionBurma]

On another note, those who do border runs at the said crossings, I wonder if they will still be doing cheap $10 one day stamps or if they will have to buy a full visa.

AFAIK there will be no change to the cheapie $10 entries, also pretty sure I saw that mentioned in one the articles this morning.

In terms of the overland travel though - for the time being people will still need to have an embassy issued visa already in their passport. A border entry visa won't allow travel overland.

This is set to change in the coming year. My sources tell me that by early 2014 they are planning to issue visas at the borders. Nothing concrete at this stage though, so stay tuned.

[squarethecircle]

Cool, I have been wanting to go from Tachileik via Kengtung over to Taunggyi then into the middle of the country. Current set-up only allows us farangis to go to Kengtung (and Mong La on the Chinese border) with a gov't-approved guide. I look forward to updates on this.

[Eggmeng]

Anyone already writing or interested in collaborating on a blog about the future of the Myeik Archipelago, and especially the development of sustainable tourism there, is invited to contact me.

I have a vehicle for promoting that conversation, and resources for involving responsible investors and corporations seeking worthy CSR initiatives.

[jobsworth]

The interesting journey would be from Thailand to India overland.

Although Burma is opening up there is still trouble with the Naxalites

in India near the Burmese border.

The Burmese will not allow foreigners anywhere near the Indian border.

Anybody have any further information about this?

[CIHUAHUA]

I hope they continue to open up because I would like to travel to India via Burma.

[imaderbyfan]

That's good. But let's see where they are.

Kawthoung: Off Ranong in Thailand. Google Map

Tachilek: Off just about the most Northerly Point in Thailand. Google Map

Myawaddy: Next to Mae Sot in Tak. Google Map

You could always do a stamp in and out in Mae Sot anyway.

So good news, but not great. Get one open within 3-4 hours driving from BKK and they'd make a mint with border runners.

Yes i agree I would have thought that the newly opened border in Kanchanaburi would have been on the list....though I suspect that the infastructure on the Burma side is not yet ready

[richard10365]

The bad news is, from what I have heard, tourism in Myanmar offers 1 star service at 5 star prices.

[JulesMad]

fantastic news... i wonder if I can take Thai registered motorbike over from Tachilek and drive down to Kawthoung ?

A very good question Ozz1 - something I am just in the middle of discussing.

Will post back if I find out something - would welcome any info from other members about this.

Would be absolutely great if we can take the bike into Burma!!! I am looking forward to more news on this

[Mangkhut]

The interesting journey would be from Thailand to India overland.

Although Burma is opening up there is still trouble with the Naxalites

in India near the Burmese border.

The Burmese will not allow foreigners anywhere near the Indian border.

Anybody have any further information about this?

Your absolutely right here. Its great that Myanmar are about to open up and border crossings will be allowed with own vehicle. The ultimate thing would however be if they allowed foreigners to travel through the whole country with their own vehicles - as in/out from the Indian state of Assam/Nagaland (or what is it?) and then in/out of Thailand somewhere. Many overlanders will drewle upon this possibility....

But I guess one should take one stap at a time and be happy with that.....

[yeeowww]

That's good. But let's see where they are.

Kawthoung: Off Ranong in Thailand. Google Map

Tachilek: Off just about the most Northerly Point in Thailand. Google Map

Myawaddy: Next to Mae Sot in Tak. Google Map

You could always do a stamp in and out in Mae Sot anyway.

So good news, but not great. Get one open within 3-4 hours driving from BKK and they'd make a mint with border runners.

Hah! With news like this, my trip will most likely be "One Way"...

[Cuban]

When we crossed over up at Mai Sai some years ago talking to the people in the market the feeling I was given that the people of the country wished it to be called Burma as that is "their" name and that Myanmar is the name that represents the governmental control which no one liked.

I felt is was like a Thailand 40 years ago and through distorting glasses.

I liked the place and the people, just a pity all the left hand drive cars drive on the right!

[hellodolly]

fantastic news... i wonder if I can take Thai registered motorbike over from Tachilek and drive down to Kawthoung ?

A very good question Ozz1 - something I am just in the middle of discussing.

Will post back if I find out something - would welcome any info from other members about this.

Not sure if I understand this. Five years ago we entered in Tachilek and drove through to Monglar on the China border.

Edit

I mistakenly had typed in Kengtong where we stopped over night going and coming.

[hellodolly]

When we crossed over up at Mai Sai some years ago talking to the people in the market the feeling I was given that the people of the country wished it to be called Burma as that is "their" name and that Myanmar is the name that represents the governmental control which no one liked.

I felt is was like a Thailand 40 years ago and through distorting glasses.

I liked the place and the people, just a pity all the left hand drive cars drive on the right!

Yes it is a pity they have been driving on the right hand side of the road for 40 give pr take years and are just to poor to buy cars built for driving on the right hand side.

I found the country to be very beautiful. The people I experienced in Kengton were very friendly but also very sad. It was like they had no future. I found them to be as poor as the people in Cambodia yet not near as happy. Maybe now they can see a different future. The people in Monglar were completly different. It was like they were in China which was the only money they would except.

I found it interesting as the road all the way through was two lanes and only one or two years old. At one point there was only one way traffic for about 20 meters as they were drying coffee beans on the other lane.

[Tomtomtom69]

I'm going to a town called Ye in mid-August. Not confirmed if foreigners are permitted to travel by land from Yangon-Moulmein-Ye and south to Dawei. Can fly to Dawei from Yangon, then travel by land north to Ye, but the last time I checked, there is a 'black zone' between Moulmein and Ye. Does anyone know if the restriction has been lifted?

No, not anymore there isn't. You can go all the way down now and possibly as early as tomorrow, or otherwise sometime in August before the end of the month you can even travel in and out of Kawthoung if you wish.

No need to fly internally in that region at all anymore according to these regulations. Go to Lonely Planet's Thorntree forum where you'll find stories of foreigners who have traveled overland to Dawei and even Myeik recently, mostly by bus and/or train or perhaps hired car with driver in some cases.

[Tomtomtom69]

The interesting journey would be from Thailand to India overland.

Although Burma is opening up there is still trouble with the Naxalites

in India near the Burmese border.

The Burmese will not allow foreigners anywhere near the Indian border.

Anybody have any further information about this?

Your absolutely right here. Its great that Myanmar are about to open up and border crossings will be allowed with own vehicle. The ultimate thing would however be if they allowed foreigners to travel through the whole country with their own vehicles - as in/out from the Indian state of Assam/Nagaland (or what is it?) and then in/out of Thailand somewhere. Many overlanders will drewle upon this possibility....

But I guess one should take one stap at a time and be happy with that.....

Who said border crossings will be allowed with own vehicle? I am pretty sure only passengers can cross from Thailand into Myanmar, but must travel in Myanmar vehicles once inside the country. The current system of applying for advance permission to bring your car or motorcycle across (except for short term 1-day border hopping trips within a few km of the Thai border) will remain, but it's getting easier. A recent Bangkok Post article mentioned that it was becoming straightforward to apply for permission to drive into Myanmar, so you can't just show up at the border and go. I think that perhaps by next year or 2015, it should be possible to drive into Myanmar and travel around the country in your own car without advance permission but right now permission must still be sought in advance.

As for overland travel into India - it has been done this year by some German travelers in their own cars traveling from India to Thailand via Myanmar and Thais/third party foreigners on a caravan tour from Thailand to Bhutan and Nepal via Myanmar and India, but both journeys required a lot of paperwork and advance permission.

[Tomtomtom69]

BTW I hope that the flooding in Myawaddy won't force the authorities to delay the opening of overland access at that crossing for too long. ANyway, since we don't know the exact opening date in August, it could be that we'll have to wait a couple more days or weeks before we know for sure.