Mandalay on my Mind

[Mekong Bob]

like to see Mandalay? Here's what I l learned at a local tour agency today.

from Chiang Mai, Bangkok Airways flies to Mandalay three days a week. Mandalay to Chiang Mai too!

It's only a one and one-half hour flight, direct (no stopovers). Fares start at about 1,600 baht, each way.

Visa to Myanmar (Burma) costs 2,800 baht and takes a week. This travel agency offers this service.

if, however, you hold a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa (Retirement, Married, etc.), and reside in Chiang Mai, the Myanmar visa must be obtained in Bangkok. Uggghhhh!

Anyone have another option?

[Mahseer]

E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

[eyecatcher]

That sounded great until the last sentence.

where does the thai wife/girlfriend get her visa from?

[Mekong Bob]

E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

please check out the Bangkok Airways website for current fares.

what is an "E Visa" (Education/Teacher Visa?)

[Tywais]

E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

please check out the Bangkok Airways website for current fares.

what is an "E Visa" (Education/Teacher Visa?)

Electronic (online) Visa - http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/

[CMBob]

what is an "E Visa" (Education/Teacher Visa?)

It's normally spelled eVisa and, not sure, but I think it means an "electronic" visa (could be wrong there). In any event, it's a visa you get online which Burma now handles via their government website for a fair number of nationalities. Can get there via: http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/NoticetoTourists.aspx

[Mekong Bob]

That sounded great until the last sentence.

where does the thai wife/girlfriend get her visa from?

I believe Thai citizens can get a free (no-fee) visa to any ASEAN member country, including Myanmar.

[Mekong Bob]

E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

Manseer,

Do you have a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa? You now have a Myanmar eVisa, correct? Point of entry: Mandalay International Airport.

Nice work!

[HaleySabai]

Wife and I are flying to Mandalay Dec.14 on BKK Air,I booked the flight back in Aug. and payed 8,665b (tax in) each R/T

I think better prices can be had now, but 1,600b???.... the flight showed 3/4 full back in Aug. so I didn't want to gamble for a better price.

We are going on the Amara-2 river cruise with total time in Burma is 9-days.

I did the online E-visa last week,paid $50usd each and got the approval within 24hrs.

Thais pay full amount....no good-neighbor policy applied there.

I hope this last comment ("you hold a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa (Retirement, Married, etc.), and reside in Chiang Mai, the Myanmar visa must be obtained in Bangkok.") is not going to be a nasty surprise for me.

BTW - the application process is simple and does not query individual visa-status.

No where did I read on the evisa-site anything about the subject towards visa & residence.

OP,Where did you get that information from?

However,not to say this couldn't come up at Immigration...surprise,surprise!!

Lets hope to hear from someone with current factual information.

Edited December 7, 2014 by HaleySabai

[Gonzo the Face]

Wife and I are flying to Mandalay Dec.14 on BKK Air,I booked the flight back in Aug. and payed 8,665b (tax in) each R/T

I think better prices can be had now, but 1,600b???.... the flight showed 3/4 full back in Aug. so I didn't want to gamble for a better price.

We are going on the Amara-2 river cruise with total time in Burma is 9-days.

I did the online E-visa last week,paid $50usd each and got the approval within 24hrs.

Thais pay full amount....no good-neighbor policy applied there.

I hope this last comment ("you hold a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa (Retirement, Married, etc.), and reside in Chiang Mai, the Myanmar visa must be obtained in Bangkok.") is not going to be a nasty surprise for me.

BTW - the application process is simple and does not query individual visa-status.

No where did I read on the evisa-site anything about the subject towards visa & residence.

OP,Where did you get that information from?

However,not to say this couldn't come up at Immigration...surprise,surprise!!

Lets hope to hear from someone with current factual information.

Haley Sabai, when you do return, please post an update on the above Non Imm visa point...... I think quite a few would be interested in that point.

As I understand you should be returning about Christmas. ????

G

[FrankOff]

Is Bangkok air the cheapest to Mandalay?....I heard that some small Burmese operated airline are in the market??

Edited December 7, 2014 by FrankOff

[HaleySabai]

Yes Gonzo, Dec.23...or perhaps sooner....but will be sure to update my experience regardless.

[Dante99]

"if, however, you hold a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa (Retirement, Married, etc.), and reside in Chiang Mai, the Myanmar visa must be obtained in Bangkok".

Strange requirement, you could check with another travel agent or directly with the Embassy in BKK.

[Mahseer]

E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

Manseer,

Do you have a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa? You now have a Myanmar eVisa, correct? Point of entry: Mandalay International Airport.

Nice work!

MB, yes / no / yes.

Due to other travel plans I applied for a visa at a travel agents in CM - 2,000baht / 5 days - a couple of weeks before it was announced that E visa would be accepted in Mandalay but next time it will certainly be an E visa.

By chance anyone heading to the Naga new year festivities mid Jan?

[northernjohn]

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E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

Was the visa in that price?

Is Bangkok air the cheapest to Mandalay?....I heard that some small Burmese operated airline are in the market??

Don't know about cost but Burma has it's own airline with an office located across the street from the Shangrala Hotel.

[Mahseer]

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E visa now accepted for Mandalay.

I just paid 7,200baht return for travel during January and couldn't see anything at the price you mention.

Was the visa in that price?

Is Bangkok air the cheapest to Mandalay?....I heard that some small Burmese operated airline are in the market??

Don't know about cost but Burma has it's own airline with an office located across the street from the Shangrala Hotel.

northernjohn, 7,200 was return flight only.

Office across from Shangri La is Air Bagan. Have flown them before and its just Chiang Mai - Yangon.

Air Mandalay did announce flights direct but as far as I know nothing came of it so Bangkok Airways are the one and only at present.

[Rsteeltje]

Going to Myanmar quiet often. E-Visa for Myanmar has nothing to do with the kind of Thai visa you have.

You apply online, pay $50 by credit card and within a week you get approval in form of a doc that you have to show the Burmese (not typing Myanmarnese or whatever) passport control.

Your creditcard will show payment being done in Singapore so the generals are still moving money abroad.

Cheers

R'tje

[dave2]

re

Your creditcard will show payment being done in Singapore so the generals are still moving money abroad.

is it not possible that an agency in singapore issues them for the myanmar government coz they know how to do it easily ?

and then sends the money to myanmar who might not have a banking system that can do it

or do you know otherwise ?

just a thought

dave2

Edited December 8, 2014 by dave2

[HaleySabai]

like to see Mandalay? Here's what I l learned at a local tour agency today.

O.K, here's my update.....

if, however, you hold a Thailand Non-Immigrant Visa (Retirement, Married, etc.), and reside in Chiang Mai, the Myanmar visa must be obtained in Bangkok. Uggghhhh!

....don't swallow everything the 'tour-agents' are feeding you...

...... applied for Evisa (online) cost $50usd and received approval within 24hrs. Printed the attached barcode and presented it to immigration upon arrival to Mandalay.....both me and my Chiangmai native Thai-wife got the entry stamp along with a nice smile...no question asked... just good to go.

Airfare is pricy...nowhere near 1,600 baht. from CM. Internal flights are pricy too.

We did a 6-night/7-day cruise north from Mandalay to Bhamo up the Irrawaddy river aboard the teakwood Amara-2. With only 4-passagers and 13-crew it was 5-star all the way. Wonderful onboard experience but the scenic-panorama lacked variety.

Lovely people at all the stops up country,but what an undercurrent of tragedy amongst the smiles...from what I seen,the isolationist military Junta has indeed been successful in crushing the country,culture and people.

to anyone who is feeling somewhat 'jaded' about living in CM,just parachute down into Mandalay and spend 24hrs wondering amongst the squalor of shit-pile humanity and I guarantee that will reset your appreciation for the city we live in!

Edited December 24, 2014 by HaleySabai