Myanmar to introduce permanent residence system for foreigners

[Lite Beer]

Myanmar to introduce permanent residence system for foreigners

YANGON, Jan, 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will introduce permanent residence (PR) system this year for foreigners, parliament sources quoted Minister of Immigration U Khin Yi as saying Wednesday.

Khin Yi made the disclosure at the ongoing parliament session in Nay Pyi Taw when making discussions on the tasks to be carried out in the fiscal year 2014-15.

Khin Yi also said the government will promote the system of granting online visa.

Since Myanmar introduced visa-on-arrival system on June 1, 2012, travelers from 51 countries have benefited from the system.

Signing of memorandums of understanding is being planned for granting visa exemption to visitors from 16 countries including 10 ASEAN member nations in 2014-15, he further revealed.

The 9th regular sessions of the two Houses of Myanmar's parliament -- House of Representatives (Lower) and House of Nationalities (Upper), began respectively in Nay Pyi Taw Monday with the Lower House discussing state budget bill for the 2014-15 fiscal year and other important laws.

Presentations are also being made on national planning bill ( 2014-15), a number of taxation bills, media law in dispute and special economic zone bill to the union parliament comprising both Houses.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-01/15/c_133047781.htm

--English.News.China 2014-01-17

[Alwyn]

Let's go!!!

[poisonus]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

[zappalot]

if they make it more easy than Thailand and especially more easy and fair to invest then I know where I will bring my money. With its current laws and regulations Thailand is not an option to invest...

[arminbkk]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

The article only says there will be a permanent residence system for foreigners. It does not say what the conditions for obtaining residency will be.

Might be the same as with Thailand.

[Thai at Heart]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

The article only says there will be a permanent residence system for foreigners. It does not say what the conditions for obtaining residency will be.

Might be the same as with Thailand.

What odds you reckon they make it the same or harder?

Could that be possible?

[hansnl]

As Vietnam, Laos, Phillipines, Cambodia and now Myamar are all seeing the positive side of expats and tourism, one can count on said countries will do anything to steal away the expats and tourists from Thailand.

And while those countries are trying to woo the expats, Thailand is trying to do the opposite.

[realenglish1]

Thailands immigration policies need to be overhauled They are draconian. Remember how the USA got its power..

"Give me your huddled masses"

Need I say more

[samran]

yes, all the predictable moans about 'how hard thailand is'.

Myanmar, while holding alot of promise, is 'going to do' a lot of things. Don't hold your breath.

Also remember, this is a country which doesn't recognise the residency and citizenship rights of the Rohingya peoples who have been there generations. You reckon a country like this is going to hand out PR like candy floss to a bunch of dross who can't even qualify for a non-immigrant visa to Thailand?

You're dreaming if you are.

[thhMan]

There will be a lot of face saving by Thailand, so its possible that Thailand wont follow ...

I really do hope that Thailand will give expats the same rights as Soi Dogs

[dinom]

After 20 years in Thailand I am looking forward to other options. Let's wait and see what Myanmar has to offer for expats.

[uptheos]

Burma is nice, but there's only a few places I'd fancy being on a permanent basis,

As far as conditions it will be interesting to see what they offer, but I will be surprised if it's less than Thailand.

[DagonKhan]

Hopefully the system they will introduce will include spouses of Myanmar citizens.

[allan michaud]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

The article only says there will be a permanent residence system for foreigners. It does not say what the conditions for obtaining residency will be.

Might be the same as with Thailand.

What odds you reckon they make it the same or harder?

Could that be possible?

Online visa system sounds intelligent, so maybe they are thinking it through and going to make the process simpler than Thailand. It would seem hard to make it more complicated.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Residency is not as important as 'reasons to reside'.

So... any good bars there?

Edited January 17, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[anselpixel]

I have Burmese friends who have lived in Thailand and then had to return to Yangon.
They tell me it's not very comfortable living without the infrastructure they came to take for granted in Thailand.

[Basil B]

Residency is not as important as 'reasons to reside'.

So... any good bars there?

There are a lot of Burmese who have worked in many industries within Thailand, including bars.

I am sure once tourists flock there there will be, do not be surprised to find many Thai ladies (daughters of unpaid rice farmers) flocking across the boarder to work too.

[Woodsie888]

I think most of you might be quite shocked at the cost of living in YGN as an expat.

It's very expensive.

[theoldgit]

Post all in caps removed.

[me313]

The incentive for foreigners to invest in Myanmar has been planned for a long time, just as the increase in living in Thailand for foreigners has likewise increased. Yingluck's strategy has always been to attract "high-end" investors, and Myanmar is next in line, wait about 20 years or even less before they follow the same path of restricting visas and attracting investment along the coast until it's going to be like one highway running from Phuket up to the tip of Myanmar with resort after resort and hotels, just like the California coast.

[jpeg]

Residency is not as important as 'reasons to reside'.

So... any good bars there?

There are a lot of Burmese who have worked in many industries within Thailand, including bars.

I am sure once tourists flock there there will be, do not be surprised to find many Thai ladies (daughters of unpaid rice farmers) flocking across the boarder to work too.

A yes. More poverty stricken women to exploit The Burmese won't put up with them. They don't want their beautiful country fckd up with beer swilling mongers.

[Feesbay John]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

Maybe this is why they are now given 30 days at the Burma - Thai boarder in Kanchanaburi and have been told you can go top up your visa each month and for as many time's as you like.

[samran]

I think most of you might be quite shocked at the cost of living in YGN as an expat.

It's very expensive.

....shhhh....let the moaners go over there and find out themselves...

[TechnikaIII]

There will be a lot of face saving by Thailand, so its possible that Thailand wont follow ...

I really do hope that Thailand will give expats the same rights as Soi Dogs

Well, soi dogs are at least Thais. Some of the expat scum I have had the displeasure of seeing, ugly meat-heads on the way from Immigration entry points, heading straight to the bars .... You can be sure that the slovenly, disrespectful attire of so many these 'tourists' and whatever expats, fuels a political agenda to eradicate them.

Most of the soi dogs are better people.

I would hope that Myanmar will enforce a dess code for visitors, as Thailand used to.

[flyingdoc]

It never ceases to amaze me that a country such as Thailand, which is so heavily dependent on tourism, makes it so difficult to obtain anything but a straightforward 30 day tourist visa ! My guess is that Myanmar will look at the Thai process, and make theirs more attractive. They have, for example, already actively embarked on a hotel building scheme, which they say will cater for demand by the end of 2016.

[tetleythedog]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

The article only says there will be a permanent residence system for foreigners. It does not say what the conditions for obtaining residency will be.

Might be the same as with Thailand.

I doubt that very much, after all Burma was part of our commonwealth, I hope the UK will be one of those exempt from visas. Good for you Myanmar !

[IAMSOBAD]

I looked up the definition of THAI IMMIGRATION and it said ....see penny wise, pound foolish!

[Woodsie888]

I think most of you might be quite shocked at the cost of living in YGN as an expat.

It's very expensive.

....shhhh....let the moaners go over there and find out themselves...

Then I'd have to listen to them complaining about it at my local. I'd sooner warn them off first!

Seriously though, it's cheaper for me to commute regularly from BKK, rather than living there. I'm quite happy it's that way too!

[philliphn]

Beware Thailand... while you are tightening your laws on immigration, Myanmar will be hot on your heals ready to mop up many farangs that you piss off.

Must be tempting for those who are pissed off with visa runs or trying to find 400,000 baht every year.

The article only says there will be a permanent residence system for foreigners. It does not say what the conditions for obtaining residency will be.

Might be the same as with Thailand.

I doubt that very much, after all Burma was part of our commonwealth, I hope the UK will be one of those exempt from visas. Good for you Myanmar !

I hope USA citizens will be exempt from visas. Time to develop Myanmar.

Edited January 17, 2014 by philliphn

[Lobstered]

I would not hold my breath for this to be implemented. Visa Waiver for some countries has been on the cards for over 2 years with no progress not even for the ASEAN countries for which they have signed a commitment to it.

There are still a lot of negative attitudes in the government to change before they will start to issue residency. Plus really if they did offer it now I do not think that many foreigners who had got used to life in Thailand would be that interested in downgrading to Myanmar. Mobiles very expensive, internet total rubbish, house incredibly expensive in Yangon, no health care, limited nightlife options.