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  #1  
Old 20 Feb 2009
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Burma
I'm sorry I know Burma has been discussed plenty, but apparently there are borders open at India and Thailand.

Does anyone know anyone who has successfully crossed Burma?

The FCO website says you have to enter and leave by the same border crossing and movement within the country is highly restricted.

My friend is confident that we won't have too many issues getting in and out and the Ozbus crosses every couple of months. (strange their website doesnt have any blogs or photos from past trips but hey-ho)

Any ideas?
Thanks
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Last edited by Jelle; 21 Feb 2009 at 18:53.
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  #2  
Old 21 Feb 2009
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India Burma border open??

Unless things have radically changed in the last few weeks, I'm afraid you're misinformed. This border has been closed since the late fifties. I think the Oz Bus is probably put on a boat from Kolkata to Singapore or something similar.

Very occassionally people make it across, but not without half a lifetime's worth of political wrangling with both the Indian and Burmese goverments. Forget it.

Daniel
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  #3  
Old 21 Feb 2009
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As long as the current government stays in power, it´ll be nearly impossible to get there with your own vehicle, nevermind cross entire Burma with it.

Getting there as a backpacker, joining a guided tour, etc., that should be possible.

I dont get it, why such noble servants of their own people, like the governments of Burma, North Korea, and Zimbabwe seem to remain in power forever. If there was a free election, they know they wouldn´t get a whole lot votes (that´s probably, why there never is - or maybe there once was in Burma, but the military junta ignored the result!!) Taking good care of their personal well-being seems all these so-called leaders are capable of.
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Old 22 Feb 2009
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I have heard several reports of the border being open and that it is now possible to move from India to Thailand overland. I am in Nepal at the moment and a few people have commented on it because it is so unusual.

I don't know of anyone trying the actual crossing though and I would expect to get across with a motorbike would be utter hell in which you would be escorted everywhere, not allowed to see the people or the country. You would probably have to follow one road and I suspect, unlike in Pakistan where you are obviously escorted both for your own protection and to keep an eye on you, you would be watched like a hawk by whichever a**hole is in charge of locking people away for a very long time.

If you decide to do it I would speak with professional diplomats, specialists on the country and maybe even consider kidnap insurance. It isn't really in the spirit of exploration but then Burma isn't really into the hospitality thing!

Ride safe,
Ol
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  #5  
Old 22 Feb 2009
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Thanks for the replies. We've hit major problems with the trip planning.

The Chinese guide has told us the Chinese Gov't aren't letting people cross the border from Nepal, that the crossing at KKH may also be closed or have huge difficulties crossing there.

The best place to enter would be Krygystan, which is a huge detour.

Last resort is shipping from India to Thailand - just been doing a search and didnt see any mentions of time or cost...

I personally think Burma would be a bad idea, imagine getting there with the paperwork and still not being allowed in

Its all very frustrating!
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  #6  
Old 24 Feb 2009
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Originally Posted by Jelle View Post
Thanks for the replies. We've hit major problems with the trip planning.

The Chinese guide has told us the Chinese Gov't aren't letting people cross the border from Nepal, that the crossing at KKH may also be closed or have huge difficulties crossing there.

The best place to enter would be Krygystan, which is a huge detour.

Last resort is shipping from India to Thailand - just been doing a search and didnt see any mentions of time or cost...

I personally think Burma would be a bad idea, imagine getting there with the paperwork and still not being allowed in

Its all very frustrating!
Yeah Burma is there for the truly hardcore who want to cross. You have to be insane to try. For those of us who are more reasonable with our expectations, shipping from India to Thailand is fine. Another option is Nepal to Thailand which I think is the most common route.

As some said, might be worth going to the Burma border just to see what happens. And my China well....

Best of luck,
Ol
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Old 24 Feb 2009
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Put the bike on a cargo ship to sail the Bay of Bengal, and you should have about 2 weeks spare time, buy a rucksack, get a flight to Yangon, and explore Burma as a backpacker, before you go meet the bike at the other end. That should be fully do-able, and if I had an obsession about that country, that´s what I´d probably do.

Been trying in vain to get into Vietnam with a foreign-regoed bike, and I wouldnt waste my time trying to do the same with Burma. Even if some miracle of biblical proportions happened, and I´d be allowed entry, I would most definitely not be allowed to ride all the way, so what would be the point?

Certain amount of optimism is often ok, but still I would use my time on the trip more efficiently.
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Old 22 Feb 2009
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Originally Posted by Hornet600 View Post
I have heard several reports of the border being open and that it is now possible to move from India to Thailand overland. I am in Nepal at the moment and a few people have commented on it because it is so unusual.

I don't know of anyone trying the actual crossing though and I would expect to get across with a motorbike would be utter hell in which you would be escorted everywhere, not allowed to see the people or the country. You would probably have to follow one road and I suspect, unlike in Pakistan where you are obviously escorted both for your own protection and to keep an eye on you, you would be watched like a hawk by whichever a**hole is in charge of locking people away for a very long time.

If you decide to do it I would speak with professional diplomats, specialists on the country and maybe even consider kidnap insurance. It isn't really in the spirit of exploration but then Burma isn't really into the hospitality thing!

Ride safe,
Ol
I read about somebody, an Indian, making it with a bike 3-4 years ago. But not before literally several months of hard negotiations with both the Indian and Burmese authorities (and I believe most of this you´ll need to be able to handle in local languages). And still not allowed to cross the entire country, but needed to put the bike on a truck, and take public transport to get past several forbidden areas. He said it quite simply was not worth the enormous hassle. And for a normal Western tourist with a bike, it just aint going to happen anyway.

I´ve got some friends, who´ve tried quite recently from all possible borders between Burma/Thailand, and failed. Not that they had very high hopes in the first place! But sure, I think we would all appreciate, if someone had the time and the patience to actually give it a go from the Indian side.
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Old 23 Feb 2009
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I'm friends with an Indian who rode Burma a few years ago. He said the fuel and roads sucked. He said Burma was the first time he dropped his bike and that he dropped it 13 times in a 2km section if I remember correctly. I asked how he managed to get the paperwork and he kind of trailed off and said he could do it because he was Indian.
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  #10  
Old 23 Feb 2009
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Stop press....

We might be OK by August, something is going on March/Apr time but hopefully we can go ahead with the Tibet-China-Vietnam route by August. We'll know for sure by May.

Back up plan being enter at Krygystan or get a double entry for India and back track for shipping Bay of Bengal to Thailand

Fingers and toes crossed everyone!
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