visa for Kiwi crossing Thailand to Myanmar

[retoohs]

I'm on a New Zealand passport and my gf on a Thai one. Do we need visas before we arrive at the Myanmar border or can we get them when we arrive. What is the best way into the country? We are in BKK but don't mind catching train north or south. Will fly if need be but being a photographer I prefer slower means of travel. We want to get to Mandalay and do the multi day river cruise then we after Myanmar head to see family in Chiang Rai so advice getting there appreciated also.

[ubonjoe]

If you want to go any further than the border area you need to get a visa for entry to Myanmar.

Not 100% sure but I thinkThais now get a 14 day visa exempt entry.

Moving you topic to the Myanmar visa forum now.

[phuketrichard]

gf will get a 14 days visa exempt on entry

u will need a visa and can do online for $50 or at the embassy in Bangkok ( same day , overnight or 2 days)

Air aisa offers a very inexpensive flight DMK to MDL

I am heading to Mandalay end of month and than train north an take the Irrawadaddy river trip down.from Myitkyina-Bhamo-Katha-Mandalay

things are changing so u need be VERY flexible

[Tomtomtom69]

gf will get a 14 days visa exempt on entry

u will need a visa and can do online for $50 or at the embassy in Bangkok ( same day , overnight or 2 days)

Air aisa offers a very inexpensive flight DMK to MDL

I am heading to Mandalay end of month and than train north an take the Irrawadaddy river trip down.from Myitkyina-Bhamo-Katha-Mandalay

things are changing so u need be VERY flexible

Wrong.

Thais need a visa if they enter via land. I also haven't heard about visa free entry for Thais if they enter by air, as that agreement hasn't yet been signed yet? But for land entry, definitely NO visa on arrival for anyone.

[Tomtomtom69]

http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/regional/item/10397-thailand-to-sign-visa-exemption-agreement-with-myanmar/10397-thailand-to-sign-visa-exemption-agreement-with-myanmar

This article clearly states that any visa-free agreement with Thailand only applies to travel via AIR. Land entry requires a visa. Presumably it should be possible to leave Myanmar by land on a visa-free entry stamp, but Thais won't be allowed to catch their flights to Myanmar if travelling on one way tickets. If they fly on say Air Asia and then abandon their return flight then they could return by land if they wanted to.

[phuketrichard]

gf will get a 14 days visa exempt on entry

u will need a visa and can do online for $50 or at the embassy in Bangkok ( same day , overnight or 2 days)

Air aisa offers a very inexpensive flight DMK to MDL

I am heading to Mandalay end of month and than train north an take the Irrawadaddy river trip down.from Myitkyina-Bhamo-Katha-Mandalay

things are changing so u need be VERY flexible

Wrong.

Thais need a visa if they enter via land. I also haven't heard about visa free entry for Thais if they enter by air, as that agreement hasn't yet been signed yet? But for land entry, definitely NO visa on arrival for anyone.

PLEASE stop saying this;

What do u call this ?

we went to Ranong an my Cambodian gf got a 14 days visa exempt stamp to enter Myanmar on the 24th of Feb

and i asked if she could travel and he said YES

Not sure about thai's but was told they could enter as well.

Edited March 9, 2015 by phuketrichard

[Tomtomtom69]

gf will get a 14 days visa exempt on entry

u will need a visa and can do online for $50 or at the embassy in Bangkok ( same day , overnight or 2 days)

Air aisa offers a very inexpensive flight DMK to MDL

I am heading to Mandalay end of month and than train north an take the Irrawadaddy river trip down.from Myitkyina-Bhamo-Katha-Mandalay

things are changing so u need be VERY flexible

Wrong.

Thais need a visa if they enter via land. I also haven't heard about visa free entry for Thais if they enter by air, as that agreement hasn't yet been signed yet? But for land entry, definitely NO visa on arrival for anyone.

PLEASE stop saying this;

What do u call this ?

we went to Ranong an my Cambodian gf got a 14 days visa exempt stamp to enter Myanmar on the 24th of Feb

and i asked if she could travel and he said YES

Not sure about thai's but was told they could enter as well.

Maybe it's the same 14 day restricted stamp they give to everyone without a visa in advance? I can't say because unless she went to Myeik, Yangon etc. with that stamp it proves nothing. She left on the same day she arrived and didn't leave Kawthoung. The officers at the border don't necessarily know everything and have often said you can go here or go there, but then when you go you find out you can't. Or they just shrug their shoulders if they don't know the answer.

I am aware of the existing Myanmar visa exemption granted to Cambodians (and Vietnamese) but am very surprised that it supposedly is also valid for entry by land as that has never been announced before. BUT it could be that Kawthoung quietly made changes not valid at other border crossings. This perhaps explains why Thais also need a passport and US$10 for a then 3 day 2 night pass, now apparently 14 day pass if they want to enter Kawthoung as my then Thai girlfriend entered Kawthoung with me in 2003 after a road trip up from Malaysia, but at other Thai-Myanmar border crossings if she wanted to enter she could only use her Thai ID card and not travel far from the border.

I also travelled into Myanmar via Mae Sot/Myawady both in November and again in January with some Vietnamese nationals, who all had Myanmar visas in their passports because without it, despite the presence of the visa-free agreement if arriving by air, they wouldn't have been allowed to proceed beyond Myawady and only been granted a day pass. Asking the staff at the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok confirmed this.

Anyway Thais definitely can NOT enter by land without a visa, except if they don't leave the vicinity of the border and use their border pass. This article clearly states that any agreement on visa-free travel between Thailand and Myanmar, for Thai and Myanmar citizens is only valid for travel by AIR.

http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/regional/item/10397-thailand-to-sign-visa-exemption-agreement-with-myanmar/10397-thailand-to-sign-visa-exemption-agreement-with-myanmar

Getting it right is important, because if you show up at the border without a visa and you need one, you won't be allowed to enter. In late November last year I went with a Thai businessman (a personal friend) and my dad across the border to Myawady. Although he had his passport on him, he was REFUSED exit from Thailand on his passport as he didn't have a Myanmar visa. He was told to get a 1-day restricted border pass using his Thai ID card, valid for travel within a 12km radius from the border only and he must return back to Thailand before the border shuts. He often goes to Myanmar on business but like most people, has never travelled to the country by land so even the whole border pass thingy was new to him and he asked me what to do.

[retoohs]

thanks for the replies but all has become irrelevant for the moment. Yesterday I dropped off my gf's visa application for NZ and had to leave her passport. They said it will take 3-4 weeks to process which leaves her without a passport