Travelling in Myanmar

[oldsailor35]

After asking questions concerning this, i have received very few informative answers, some stupid answers and some completely vague 'guess work' answers. So from this i gather that very little is really known regarding Myanmar and that very few TV members have either never been there or even know where it is.

[ubonjoe]

Moved to the Myanmar forum..

[wayned]

There's actually a whole section of the forum dedicated to Myanmar and there is some very informative information posted by members who live and woirk there, seavisiosburma being one!

[Tomtomtom69]

If you need to know anything about Myanmar, I think I'm well qualified to tell you. I have been there many times, about 9 times alone last year including 3 overland journeys using the now nearly 1 year old overland checkpoints. I do business in Myanmar and have also travelled over for pleasure a few times, not just done visa or border runs like most members I think you are referring to. Anything you need to know, please let me know but indeed the Myanmar forum is a very good source and I post/answer questions there regularly.

[oldsailor35]

If you need to know anything about Myanmar, I think I'm well qualified to tell you. I have been there many times, about 9 times alone last year including 3 overland journeys using the now nearly 1 year old overland checkpoints. I do business in Myanmar and have also travelled over for pleasure a few times, not just done visa or border runs like most members I think you are referring to. Anything you need to know, please let me know but indeed the Myanmar forum is a very good source and I post/answer questions there regularly.

Thanks Tom, i am living here on a Non Imm 'O'. Yes i do have to do a visa run in late august, however i really was hoping that i could spend some time in Myanmar with my own car, as i am not a lover of 'organised' tours, prefer to see what i choose and stop when i wish. This now appears to be out of the question. I am also interested in Myanmar as my uncle was in Burma with the Chindits and he used to tell me stories as a kid, when he returned.

[phuketrichard]

Just spent 10 days there last month ( Mandalay, Bagan Hsipaw, Mogok)

I loved it and am heading back in oct.

Note;

this was my 2nd trip there ( not counting one day trips) since 1988,,,

Since returning have been doing lots of reading about Myanmar's past

What amazed me was Aung San was a Japanese collaborator during ww2 an 10,000 of thousands of English, Chinese, Burmese an Indians lost their life's fighting there.

It has an amazing history

[Tomtomtom69]

If you need to know anything about Myanmar, I think I'm well qualified to tell you. I have been there many times, about 9 times alone last year including 3 overland journeys using the now nearly 1 year old overland checkpoints. I do business in Myanmar and have also travelled over for pleasure a few times, not just done visa or border runs like most members I think you are referring to. Anything you need to know, please let me know but indeed the Myanmar forum is a very good source and I post/answer questions there regularly.

Thanks Tom, i am living here on a Non Imm 'O'. Yes i do have to do a visa run in late august, however i really was hoping that i could spend some time in Myanmar with my own car, as i am not a lover of 'organised' tours, prefer to see what i choose and stop when i wish. This now appears to be out of the question. I am also interested in Myanmar as my uncle was in Burma with the Chindits and he used to tell me stories as a kid, when he returned.

It's possible to bring your own car across at Tachilek, opposite Mae Sai, but the problem with that is you can't travel very far outside of the city (35km or something is the limit I was told) in order to protect local transport operators. This sucks but explains much of the reason why traveling by car across borders in this region is just not the same straightforward thing as it is in North America or Europe.

However, it is possible to travel inside Myanmar with your own car and without a tour, but you will still need to be accompanied by a government guide. Last November, 2 Russian registered vehicles, one driven by a Lithuanian and the other by a Russian, had driven into Mae Sot from Myawady in Myanmar, after first having entered Myanmar at Kawthoung opposite Ranong and driven up to Yangon and other points all over the country, before finally exiting at Myawady. The two drivers decided what they wanted to see and where they wanted to go, without any other vehicles with them but they did have a guide with them. I took a picture of the cars when I was there - I was heading to Hpa-an from Mae Sot on that trip with a Myanmar visa. In order to do this, you'll need to contact MTT the government travel and tours agency and wait a few months for approval.

There is a rumour that by sometime next year, you'll be able to drive around Myanmar quite freely by just showing up at the border with an international transport permit or similar for your car and get permission for the car to stay in the country for a certain period (just like Malaysia and Laos), but it's unclear when this change will take effect, though I presume probably by the time of implementation (entry into force) of AEC 2015. Restricted areas that may still exist for travelers at that time will be exceptions, but if you want to go somewhere like Dawei, Yangon, Mandalay, Hpa-an, Bagan etc. standard towns and cities and reach them along the main roads that should be possible fairly soon without a guide.

[phuketrichard]

that would be great,

BUT there are still areas where your NOT allowed to travel without special permission ( like up north along the old Burma Road,)

to the east near India, Mogok

etc

The dont want take the chance of a westerner being kidnapped and hurting the tourism industry.

Traveling by motorcycle for 4 days was the highlight of my trip