tide

I've done that as well at Tachilek/Mae Sai. That's not a Myanmar visa - more like a daypass - you're restricted to the surrounding area and maybe only up to Keng Tung.

For example, I don't believe you could go to the Tachilek airport and fly to Heho, for example, without a visa. I may be wrong but I believe you must enter via Yangon to do any travel within Myanmar.

stimpy

I don't recall anyone telling us we had to return that day. What would stop us from jumping in a car and driving to Yangon or anywhere else? That's just speculation mind you. I really don't know the rules either.

Lobster

I don't think they stop you travelling if you enter there. However they do very much discourage it by insisting that you leave the country through the same entry point. So although you could travel up to Yangon you could not fly out of Yangon you would have to return to the thai border and cross at the same point you entered.

stimpy

I'd be careful about assuming restricted rules. Things are opening up quickly in Burma. There was a big article in one of the Thai papers recently about how things are opening up for Thais. I think they are changing a lot of the access rules. Things may or may not have changed for US citizens, but change is coming.

LarryU

When I crossed the border at Tachilek/Mae Sai in November of 2010, my passport was effectively "held hostage" at the Myanmar border crossing until I crossed back over the bridge to return to Thailand. At that point, it was returned to me by Myanmar officials and I could then use it to reenter Thailand.

jiejie

What you got was not a visa, just a temporary border pass good for a day, and only in the Tachilek area. This has been normal procedure at this border crossing for many years (except when border closed due to fighting). However, during many time periods, those with regular 28-day Myanmar visas procured in advance have been allowed to continue journeys overland to Kengtung, and also onward (by flight not land) from Kengtung to Heho and points beyond, eventually exiting by a different route...typically flight out of the country via Yangon or Mandalay.

Actually, yes, the Burmese normally restrict your 1-day border permit to Tachilek only. If you can get a longer permit, they have sometimes allowed travel to Loi Mwe and Kengtung, returning to Tachilek/Mai Sai border within 14 days. But this isn't a standard Myanmar visa.

Except for non-standard visa/border pass situations, there is no big deal with entering/exiting at different points. Except that some locations are forbidden to foreigners (i.e. Bangladesh, Indian borders) and some locations have special restrictions requiring prior permission from Burmese gov't to cross, and have prearranged accompanying escort (Chinese border). International flights out (currently only Yangon and Mandalay service) are always OK.

glennaa11

Yes, recent news reports said that ASEAN citizens will be able to enter on a Visa on Arrival. I think that is supposed to start next month.

I could see that getting expanded at some point, but the notion that they want to wait until there are more hotel rooms available makes sense to me. You don't want planeloads full of foreigners arriving and no place for them to stay.

stimpy

I wouldn't be surprised if the Generals who run the country are building out hotels and negotiating deals as fast as they can. If that's the direction things are going, a few people in Burma are going to get rich quick.

jiejie

Where have you been? The Generals and cronies have owned or part-owned most of the "better" hotels for most of the last few decades. They started divesting some properties about 10-ish years ago, but a little birdie at the window told me that even the "private" hotels have to pay a goodly amount of...tribute, let us say...to ensure their continuing operations. One of the reasons why in Burma, I prefer smaller mom-and-pop guesthouses or small hotels rather than the biggies. However, in the scheme of things, this sort of revenue pales in comparison to Burma's natural resource exports, which are also owned by Generals or their cronies.

stimpy

Yes, but the point I was making is that there will be a strong increase in new hotels owned or otherwise profited by by the Generals because it is they who are opening up the rules to allow more foreign travelers.

transpac

Myanmar introduces visa-on-arrival to facilitate foreigners' entry

English.news.cn 2012-06-01 14:23:33
by Feng Yingqiu

YANGON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities started issuing visa-on-arrival Friday at the Yangon International Airport, aimed at facilitating foreign businessmen and tourists to enter the country smoothly for investment and tourism purposes....

Rest of story here:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/wo..._131625088.htm

MrHalliday

Very nice to see an official announcement on this !^

dsquared37

And the NGO floodgates have opened to all. Definitely time to roam about before major changes propagate all over.

Thanks for the announcement.

glennaa11

well, there's sooooo much work that needs to be done it will take a while even with some foreign investment flowing in. But still worth a visit now if you can swing it.

jiejie

If anybody hears that VOA is (or becomes) available at Mandalay airport also, please chime in. The MU flight from Kunming is a very handy back door to the country.