Using Mae Sot/Myawady crossing for overland travel to interior of Myanmar temporarily suspended

[Tomtomtom69]

Due to fighting along the new Asia highway between Myawady and Kawkareik in Karen/Kayin state and possible fighting along the old road too, both roads that allow travel from Myawady to the interior of the country are now blocked as of yesterday (July 5) according to a former immigration source from Myawady who was my guide during my recent trip to Myanmar. I was able to cross the Mae Sot/Myawady crossing to the interior of Myanmar on June 27, before the fighting started, which occurred due to a dispute over collecting road tolls on the new Asia highway that is due to be opened officially by the Myanmar authorities this month, when the DKBA rebel army refused to heed the government's demands to move off the road failed.

This means that local travellers are being blocked from crossing in either direction, while foreigners may now be temporarily blocked from using Mae Sot/Myawady for anything more than a day trip to Myawady. Coming from the other direction, travellers will likely be turned back and forced to exit via another crossing or by flying out from one of the country's international airports.

At this stage, there is very little official news, other than the mention of a conflict going on in the Kawkareik area by the major Myanmar news sources such as Elevenmyanmar.com, Irrawaddy, Karen News, Mizzima and MM Times. The latest news from roughly July 3 is a bit out of date and thus it is necessary to find out the latest from local sources on the ground. The Bangkok Post has also made some minor mention of the situation.

I have not read any reports of travellers heading across the Dawna range to cross into Thailand or coming from Thailand in the last couple of days on any traveller website such as Lonely Planet's Thorntree forum, so I decided to make this report to inform all members that may be interested - DON'T travel to Myanmar via the Mae Sot/Myawady crossing for the time being, until we can confirm that the dispute centered in the plains region near Kawkareik has been resolved. Otherwise, expect to be disappointed and inconvenienced when showing up at the border crossing, or if coming from the other side, near Kawkareik.

[Tomtomtom69]

Some updates from DVB:

http://www.dvb.no/news/asian-highway-reopens-despite-artillery-assaults-burma-myanmar-kawthoolei/53672

suggest that the road has re-opened, but the article is confusing because it seems to suggest that only the old road has re-opened without specifying it directly, whereas the new road mentioned is now complete and is being prepared for an official opening. The new road is also much shorter than the old road, with the distance from the Thai border to the other end of the road, after Kawkareik township being approx. 40km rather than 60km if going via the old road.

While I have heard that the road (both of them) are still closed to foreign travellers, the lack of an official announcement makes this hard to confirm. However, I have made my post in good faith in order to warn travellers of possible difficulties if attempting to cross at the present time even if it turns out they manage to do so. In fact, maybe I could have even crossed yesterday but the information we were provided with was so vague it was too uncertain hence we felt it was easier to fly out from Yangon, given that my travelling companion has an important meeting in Bangkok today and couldn't arrive late.

[gregk0543]

Thanks for your post. Here is an update I found tonight. http://elevenmyanmar.com/local/travellers-use-old-road-avoid-fighting-myawady

Says they are using the old road over the Dawna range. But doesnt mention foreigners.

Did you use the new road when you went in? What is it like if you did?

I have a burmese friend meant to be going on the 9th July to Myawaddy from Yangon. Will see what happens by then.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thanks for your post. Here is an update I found tonight. http://elevenmyanmar.com/local/travellers-use-old-road-avoid-fighting-myawady

Says they are using the old road over the Dawna range. But doesnt mention foreigners.

Did you use the new road when you went in? What is it like if you did?

I have a burmese friend meant to be going on the 9th July to Myawaddy from Yangon. Will see what happens by then.

Unfortunately, they rarely mention foreigners which makes planning difficult. The information I received may have been days old hence there is a small chance that the road (at least the old one) may have since re-opened to foreigners too. An article from the Irrawaddy dated 6 July mentions continued fighting so I would assume the old road is the only one that can be used by anyone, local or foreign for now.

I did indeed use the new road when I went in, it was my third time using the new road and assuming the situation returns to normal, on my next trip (not for a while though) I'd be using the new road as the old one is too slow. New road is in excellent condition, a little winding but not too much, takes just 25-30 minutes to travel it's entire length and you end up on the other side of Kawkareik, bypassing the township when you emerge on the other end. The total length of the road is just only around 25 km I think. Signposts, in English only are also posted.

And anyway, please do update once you receive more information from your friend in 2 days time. Tomorrow I'm heading to Mae Sot to pickup my car but I won't be lingering for long, just a quick overnight stay and then back to Bangkok. I might ask around at or near Thai immigration for the latest, but things might change again in 2 days time.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Tomtomtom69

[Sooo Upto Me]

The Maesot border is open now. My Gf s family live near there an visited the border market yesterday.

[gregk0543]

http://karennews.org/2015/07/continued-fighting-makes-highway-travel-deadly.html/

"Both the DKBA and the Burma Army have warned travellers not to use the either highways because of the fighting."

Still fighting on july 6th 2015.

Thanks for the info Tomtomtom69. We have businesses in Myawaddy so we will be checking the situation again soon.

I would say the new road is going to be out of action for a little while until they learn to share. Such a hard thing?

[Tomtomtom69]

The Maesot border is open now. My Gf s family live near there an visited the border market yesterday.

The border may be open but that's not the point of this thread. The point of this thread is to inform travellers that at this time, it isn't possible to continue to the interior of Myanmar (i.e. beyond the border town of Myawady or around 15-17km from the border) until the mess that is currently occurring near Kawkareik on both the old and new highways has been sorted out.

[Tomtomtom69]

http://karennews.org/2015/07/continued-fighting-makes-highway-travel-deadly.html/

"Both the DKBA and the Burma Army have warned travellers not to use the either highways because of the fighting."

Still fighting on july 6th 2015.

Thanks for the info Tomtomtom69. We have businesses in Myawaddy so we will be checking the situation again soon.

I would say the new road is going to be out of action for a little while until they learn to share. Such a hard thing?

Based on your post from yesterday, I'd say that any travel tomorrow, which would ordinarily be allowed only in the eastbound direction or "up" as the Burmese say, i.e. from Kawkareik to Myawady means that your friend wouldn't be able to travel tomorrow unless he/she can use the new road, which is likely to remain out of action for a little while longer.

Yesterday my Myawady based guide, a former immigration official as I've previously mentioned, made it back to his home in Myawady by motorcycle via the back roads through the jungle. He had to pay a motorcycle driver a considerable amount for this trip and at some point he was faced with a rebel army checkpoint (presumably a DKBA one) where he had to pay money. After 2 hours, he emerged back onto the tarmac and was then back in Myawady. Our driver however is stuck in Kawkareik (or perhaps he went to Mawlamyine, where he has family) because both roads are still blocked. My friend claims that the DKBA have placed large logs on both roads to prevent traffic from moving across. He also claims that the government troops have given the rebel army troops until the 15th to move out of the area otherwise they'll be forced out. The idea being that they still want to proceed with the official opening of the new road by the end of the month and they want to secure their asset and a safe passage to/from the Thai border by that time.

So I'd say your friend better wait until the situation becomes more stable, in particular, I would say that no travel should be attempted until after July 15th. Unless of course he wants to try going through the back roads as my friend did, but this is fraught with risk too and not much luggage can be carried.

[Tomtomtom69]

Check out this article for more information:

http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/15377-kayin-rebels-demand-jobs-to-end-fresh-clashes.html

[ubonjoe]

A baseless argumentative post and replies to it has been removed,

[gregk0543]

Still fighting July 9th. This article says both roads closed.

http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/clashes-continue-on-asia-highway-between-dkba-govt-troops.html

[gregk0543]

Ok l am telling my friend to fly back to Bkk and then on to Mae Sot and Myawaddy from there.

I just imported some motorbikes from Mae Sot into Thailand last month so lucky they got through before this mess happened.

I have been waiting for the new road to open for a few years now and was hoping it would bring in a new era of easy transport from Myawaddy to Yangon but looks like it is opening up an old wound. That is really bad news on so many levels.

[gregk0543]

We had an employee stuck in Myawaddi who has also gone back to Yangon via motorcycle through back roads to cross this area.

http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/watch-burmese-troops-comb-highway-for-rebels/54009

Has a good video of the state of play.

It does look a little setup though.

Oh yes Tomtomtom69. Something to keep in mind in forums like this is the saying "Dont feed the trolls". If you think someone is out of line it is best just to ignore them. Just read through the posts like panning for gold and take the good info and leave the rest behind. Obviously you and I are interested in this area because it affects us.

Forums like this can be incredibly useful places to share geniune information that can be of benefit to others. It is with that intention that I usually post.

Edited July 10, 2015 by gregk0543

[Tomtomtom69]

Ok l am telling my friend to fly back to Bkk and then on to Mae Sot and Myawaddy from there.

I just imported some motorbikes from Mae Sot into Thailand last month so lucky they got through before this mess happened.

I have been waiting for the new road to open for a few years now and was hoping it would bring in a new era of easy transport from Myawaddy to Yangon but looks like it is opening up an old wound. That is really bad news on so many levels.

It is unfortunately. My friend who used to work for Myawady immigration told me the other day that he believes the Myanmar government is preparing for an all-out assault on the DKBA to secure the area by the 15th of this month, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this ultimatum will be met. He is however confident that this mess won't take too much longer to be sorted out as the government is serious about opening the new road officially according to their terms and conditions and thus being able to offer 2 routes to the interior of Myanmar, the old one way road around the Dawna range and the new bypass road.

I have travelled the new road 3 times and when I travelled it on the 27th of June, just days before the fighting erupted I noted how fast and in excellent condition it was in, the road could have been anywhere in Thailand or even in a western country, that's how good quality it is.

[Tomtomtom69]

We had an employee stuck in Myawaddi who has also gone back to Yangon via motorcycle through back roads to cross this area.

http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/watch-burmese-troops-comb-highway-for-rebels/54009

Has a good video of the state of play.

It does look a little setup though.

Oh yes Tomtomtom69. Something to keep in mind in forums like this is the saying "Dont feed the trolls". If you think someone is out of line it is best just to ignore them. Just read through the posts like panning for gold and take the good info and leave the rest behind. Obviously you and I are interested in this area because it affects us.

Forums like this can be incredibly useful places to share geniune information that can be of benefit to others. It is with that intention that I usually post.

Thanks for your advice Greg, I shouldn't have even responded to that troll. I was out of line - normally I don't bother but he enraged me more than most do.

But anyway, thanks for keeping this thread alive is it offers most useful information for anyone that is involved in trade between Thailand and Myanmar, as well as travellers alike.

Seems like the back roads are the only way to bypass this mess, but for most of us the back roads are too dangerous to consider - my friend who went along the back roads to get back to Myawady the other day as I mentioned, was quite scared but he just wanted to get back home.

Thanks for sending the link. Unfortunately, the recent talks to try to ease the current situation have failed according to this article: http://karennews.org/2015/07/talks-to-end-fighting-between-burma-army-and-dkba-fail.html/

meaning that we can probably expect more fighting for a little while longer.

I also saw a report over on Lonely Planet about a traveller that tried to pass through the Mae Sot/Myawady crossing into Myanmar but was only allowed to go on a day visit, just like under the old system. That particular traveller didn't know that access to the rest of Myanmar would be closed as little information was made available to her online, but then again this conflict has taken even those more familiar with the region by surprise, including me. However, having seen the unofficial tolls booths with my own eyes, somehow I expected that those manning them wouldn't go away without a fight as I recall the road was going to be officially opened this month and that was announced some months back (although previously they had mentioned December 2014 and that deadline came and went).

[Tomtomtom69]

Sorry I misread your post from a couple of days ago you said your friend was intending on heading from Yangon to Myawady on July 9th (yesterday) rather than the other way around - the old road would have normally allowed "up" travel, i.e. eastbound to Myawady on that day but since the old road was closed according to the Irrawaddy article you posted (that I already read last night) travel wouldn't have been allowed anyway, irrespective of direction.

[Tomtomtom69]

Latest update:

According to another friend in Myawady, it appears that both roads have been secured again and are under government control. The new road has been re-opened since Friday (10th July) and is open from 5am to 5pm Myanmar time. This according to the following article: http://www.dvb.no/dvb-video/asian-highway-reopens-as-conflict-simmers/54692

My friend has also seen foreigners pass through Myawady again so presumably everyone is allowed to travel to the interior of Myanmar again as usual.

[gregk0543]

Yes I am hearing the road is open again. Have someone going there next week but found this article today.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/attack-07162015182403.html

with the exciting headline "Karen Rebels Plan Attack of Myanmar Military For Highway Opening Ceremony"

includes this gem "“If the government army continues to attack us in force, we will reciprocate on the opening day of their highway.”

The Asia Highway 1—a road linking the town of Myawaddy on the border with Thailand with Myanmar’s commercial capital Yangon—was initially set to open with a ceremony on July 20, but has been delayed until an unspecified date next month due to ongoing fighting in Kayin state."

So does not look like this is over yet.

[Tomtomtom69]

Yes I am hearing the road is open again. Have someone going there next week but found this article today.

http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/attack-07162015182403.html

with the exciting headline "Karen Rebels Plan Attack of Myanmar Military For Highway Opening Ceremony"

includes this gem "“If the government army continues to attack us in force, we will reciprocate on the opening day of their highway.”

The Asia Highway 1—a road linking the town of Myawaddy on the border with Thailand with Myanmar’s commercial capital Yangon—was initially set to open with a ceremony on July 20, but has been delayed until an unspecified date next month due to ongoing fighting in Kayin state."

So does not look like this is over yet.

I fear you may be right. While for now, things appear to be relatively calm (although there continue to be reports of sporadic fighting in the plains and hills outside of Kawkareik, away from the roads), this could all change again by next month when the official opening ceremony for the new road is set to be held. In the meantime, if heading across the Dawna range towards Thailand or coming from Thailand, be prepared to be inconvenienced. Otherwise, for those of us who have the option of choosing another overland entry/exit route into Myanmar, I'd recommend travel via Phu Nam Ron/Htee Khee for the time being. Maybe in 2-3 months things will finally be settled but probably not just yet.

[gregk0543]

Ok we havent visited this topic for a while. I am in Myawaddy now. The border is all open. The new road between Myawaddy and Kawkareik is officially open and I had the pleasure of being there on opening day. Just coincidental but on the afternoon of the opening of the road I was heading there from Yangon 30th August 2015. The road was closed all day and opened in the afternoon. This is the first time after that trucks carrying cargo could use the road.

What a monster traffic jam it made. The new road is only one lane each way and has many steep grades and descents. When loaded trucks struggle to get up the hills it creates huge traffic convoys. The first day was the worst. I have been back and forth 3 times in the last two weeks. First time was still not open to cargo.

Today I came back again. 6 trucks broken down on the road. Some have been there for nearly a week. One was having a new engine fitted while blocking the lane.

The day before the opening the DKBA apparently lobbed four rounds of mortars into the area and a clip of machine gun fire. Read that in a Myanmar newspaper. Hasnt been reported elsewhere.

It is a good road the section between Pha-An and kawkareik is still the worst part. In total each time it has taken me about 9 hours of driving time from Yangon. 440 kms.

The just mentioned section took me 2.5 hours this morning for just 90kms and then the last 45 kms only 30 mins.

It is best to drive during the day. At night the trucks slow you down and really hard to pass on some sections. There are a couple of toll gates too and a weighbridge that can cause delays because the queuing trucks block the road to other cars by closing one lane completely.

Ok thats the update.

[Tomtomtom69]

Ok we havent visited this topic for a while. I am in Myawaddy now. The border is all open. The new road between Myawaddy and Kawkareik is officially open and I had the pleasure of being there on opening day. Just coincidental but on the afternoon of the opening of the road I was heading there from Yangon 30th August 2015. The road was closed all day and opened in the afternoon. This is the first time after that trucks carrying cargo could use the road.

What a monster traffic jam it made. The new road is only one lane each way and has many steep grades and descents. When loaded trucks struggle to get up the hills it creates huge traffic convoys. The first day was the worst. I have been back and forth 3 times in the last two weeks. First time was still not open to cargo.

Today I came back again. 6 trucks broken down on the road. Some have been there for nearly a week. One was having a new engine fitted while blocking the lane.

The day before the opening the DKBA apparently lobbed four rounds of mortars into the area and a clip of machine gun fire. Read that in a Myanmar newspaper. Hasnt been reported elsewhere.

It is a good road the section between Pha-An and kawkareik is still the worst part. In total each time it has taken me about 9 hours of driving time from Yangon. 440 kms.

The just mentioned section took me 2.5 hours this morning for just 90kms and then the last 45 kms only 30 mins.

It is best to drive during the day. At night the trucks slow you down and really hard to pass on some sections. There are a couple of toll gates too and a weighbridge that can cause delays because the queuing trucks block the road to other cars by closing one lane completely.

Ok thats the update.

Thanks for this fantastic update.

Last I read about the opening of the road was over on Karen News. They also mentioned the firing of a couple of rounds of mortars and gunfire on the eve of the opening ceremony.

http://karennews.org/2015/08/explosions-and-shooting-increase-security-concerns-on-eve-of-new-asia-highway-official-opening.html/

Strange that no news outlet has broadcast any news about the actual opening ceremony and how it went. But according to that article the road was closed for 3 days from Aug 28 to Aug 30 to secure the road for the opening ceremony, which was supposedly attended by senior Myanmar and even Thai government officials. Obviously can't have people firing mortars or shells when such important people, including foreigners will be there.

Toll gates. Are these new Myanmar style toll gates that you see around the country or the same old rebel controlled makeshift ones? Last time I took the road on June 27, it was evening time and there were 3 unofficial checkpoints manned by DKBA rebels. I hope they are now gone, as this was one of the reasons for the conflict in the first place.

As for driving at night - I don't think you would want to drive too late because you'd be "blocked in" so to speak at the Gyaing river bridge, or Myawady if heading east. This is because the Gyaing river bridge, about 20 minutes west of Kawkareik (end of the new Asia highway) closes to traffic at 9pm local time and only re-opens at 5am. The friendship bridge at Myawady closes at 8.30pm Myanmar time. The concept of all-night travel has not yet arrived there. So if you were to find yourself travelling out of Myawady in a westbound direction late at night, the furthest you would make it is Kawkareik, which has some really dodgy accommodation and no electricity after 10.30pm. Not a great place to stay overnight - Myawady is many times better and with the opening of the new road it makes little sense to even get to Kawkareik because it won't gain you a whole lot of time. Took me just 45 minutes from Myawady to the end of the new road past Kawkareik last time I went.

The Hpa-an to Kawkareik section is narrow - you can save a couple of mins by going through Thamenya township, which might seem counter-intuitive because you're going through a town, but the bypass is actually slower because all the trucks use it and it's narrower. Only the small section inside Thamenya itself, which has a few speed bumps will slow you down but overall there's so little traffic compared to Thailand it makes little difference. Of course, you'll probably only gain an extra 5 min or so, because after those 5-6km you'll be back on the main, narrow road to Hpa-an. I heard they are eventually going to upgrade the section to Hpa-an to the same standard as the new Asia highway, which would be great news and would thus reduce travel times down to perhaps 1.5 or 2 hours from the current 3, between Myawady and Hpa-an.