Transfers

[watgate]

So I finally booked a trip to Myanmar and was wondering what the average fare is, say from Yangon Airport to a downtown hotel. I inquired through a hotel I am staying at in Yangon what a transfer would cost from their hotel to the bus station outside of the city somewhere on the superhighway and they quoted me 30 usd which sounds high. I am basically going to be needing transfers from Yangon airport to my Yangon downtown hotel, a transfer from the Yangon hotel to the bus station, a transfer from Bagan bus terminal to my hotel in Bagan, a transfer from my hotel in Bagan to the ferry to catch a boat cruise to Mandalay, a transfer from the ferry at Mandalay to my hotel in Mandalay and a transfer from my hotel in Mandalay to the airport to fly back to Chiang Mai. I understand taxis are cheap.  On a separate note, I will be taking US Currency with me in different denominations and that will  be my main form of payment in Myanmar. If I brought some Thai baht with me could  I also use that to pay for things or change to Myanmar currency? 

[siam2007]

Yangon Airport - downtown: Approx 8$ (though the Kyat is falling and maybe it is 9-10$ now). There are official Taxi coupon counters at Yangon airport so no need to worry. If your hotel wants 30$ that is a robbery. Probably only the Sule Shangri-La or the Strand Hotel would dare to charge such frivolous amounts. From Hotel to Bus station maybe 7-8$. There is both GRAB and UBER now in Yangon, so you better use them, particularly as the English skills of those drivers are a lot better than those of any Taxi driver in Bangkok. Uber usually works together with real Taxis there, unlike Thailand, the Myanmar government encouraged and welcomed them.

 

Bagan is a tourist-rip-off place, I have no experience with recent fares but it will look expensive for sure.

 

From the Mandalay jetty it is just 2 km or so, depending where your hotel is located, but Mandalay transport is expensive and no Uber or Grab there yet, so expect to pay 4000-5000 Kyat.

From Mandalay to MDL airport (very long distance) the last rate I knew was 12.000 Kyat. But there are shared Taxis as well, inquire at your hotel a day before you leave. Cost 4.000 if I remember that right.

 

You can bring $ of course (only bills that are in near-to-perfect condition are being accepted) and you will need them to pay hotels, but nowadays credit cards can be used as well, unlike a few years ago back in 2011, when your journey was over as soon as you ran out of cash. Thai Baht can be exchanged too, but not everywhere and the rates are not that great. Okay to change at the airport. Better get yourself plenty of KYAT too, as usually things are less expensive when quoted in Kyat, and except for hotels, virtually everyone accepts Kyat

[watgate]

It sounds like, unless you have near perfect US dollars, then the next option would be to utilize atm machines in Myanmar to get Kyat. Is that correct, and if so, which atm's are the best to use or are they all generally in line with the same exchange rates?

[phuketrichard]

dont think in $$$  think in Kyat!!!

airport to hotel in Yangon 10,000 kyat  Taxi

Hotel in Yangon to bus station 10,000-12,000 kyat  Taxi

Ferry drop off to hotel in Mandalay 4-5,000 kyat  ( use the big tuk tuk's )

Mandalay hotel to airport 12,000 kyat  Taxi

 

You do not need pay hotels in $$$  pay in Kyat!!  in the past 3 trips last year and 1 this year,  i never used $$$....Take $100 and $20 bills

Change at the airport, also buy a MPT sim card for ur smart phone an have them set it up for you. Add 6,500 kyat top up for 3 gigs of internet.

 

Atms charge 5,500 kyat and max u can take out is 300,000

[watgate]

Phuketrichard thanks for the reply. So basically you are saying to take US currency and upon arrival at the Yangon airport change it to Kyat. I take it the exchange rate is favorable at the airport? Generally speaking you get a better exchange rate when using atm's. As for the 5,500 kyat charge you get hit with when using atm's, since I have a Charles Schwab debit card I get reimbursed by them for any fees associated with using atm's overseas. I will most likely change US currency into kyat at the Yangon airport. I don't want to get stuck with a lot of leftover kyat upon my return to thailand because I am sure it will be hard to convert it to baht. During my travels from Yangon to Bagan and then to Mandalay are their other places to convert more US currency to kyat if need be on my part?

[phuketrichard]

yes change ur $$$ to Kyat at the ariport, i go on $50/day.

U can easily change back to$$ before u depart at the exchange counter.

I have never used money changers.  once i ran out of Kyat, as i brought some jade gold rings, earrings and just used an atm.

[siam2007]

depending where you are based, you can even get Kyat before you actually leave Thailand.

Both Superrich Companies (the orange and the green one) buy and sell Kyat at their main offices in Bangkok and the spread is moderate