Hi,
I am planning to travel to thailand via myanmar from india. will my india citizenship help in getting me into myanmar overland ? if not is it possible to enter through china into myanmar ?
I have looked around and found no encouraging answers to my query .


cheers

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Sameer
http://www.sameerthakur.com

Hi Eblis. As of now it is not possible for far-away travellers. Though you being a citizen of a neighbouring country it might be a different story than the ones you find by a search on this forum. E.g. Thai travellers on thai registered bikes can enter Myanmar with a permission. There are always restrictions, but still...
If I were you I would consult with the Myanmar embassy in Dehli. They have given written permissions in the past, even for Europeans, so it can be a good place to start.

Good luck!

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RTW 2005-2007
www.eriksaue.com

Hi Eblis,
Riding through burma is an absolute no no. I've been trying to do a bombay to bangkok ride for two years now. There was a glimmer of hope after the asean car rally conducted by the asean countries and Tata Motors. But they had a lot of security and special permission from the military junta in burma.
I have also heard that as of feb 2007 the junta does not allow tourists riding on motorcycles anywhere in the countryside. period. stick to the cities they say.
There is some sort of lock-down on motorcycle travel in the country.
Speaking to locals i have realised that even the burmese do not travel around the country by motorcycle. Also huge parts of the country (most of the eastern part bordering thailand) is a very sensitive military zone and those who have tried have had to transport their bikes by truck and get themselves flown across.
The burmese embassy in delhi never picks up the phone and when they do. They are very apprehensive on issuing permissions as the junta can at any time over-rule those permits.
If you do manage to work out a route and successfully do it please do let me know.
I have been following the news and there have been recent talks and even an MOU signed by Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Junta to build a super-highway from calcutta across bangladesh and the Indian North_east into burma and through till Bangkok for the upliftment and economic developement of these regions. When it is completed is anyone's guess.
Cheers.

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\"Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow\"

It's really sad and disappointing myanmar has so many possibilities for a traveler.
i have been trying to reach myanmar embassy in delhi but no luck so far. tried
contacting tour agents in myanmar with same results. but will keep on trying,
btw i have heard of people entering overland from china into myanmar and then
also from thailand. is that route possible ?

thanks guys for responding

__________________
Sameer
http://www.sameerthakur.com

From Thailand, normally you do 1-day visits, leave your passport at the border & be back before sundown. There may be some longer tours available by some tour operators, though.

But as far as I know, no vehicles into Myanmar. There have been some individual reports about succeeding with even this, but only after HUGE paperwork & effort, and still not riding/driving all the way thru the country, have to freight your vehicle and fly thru some parts.

Interesting news about the superhighway, though... hope its not just some distant dream. Arent all those dictators, military juntas, police states and other oppressive governments such a pain in the ass, for their own people naturally, but for overland travellers too???

Sorry I've just joined the Hubb and have just seen this post. I'm from Scotland originally, live in Philippines but have worked in Myanmar for the last 2 1/2 years. Unfortunately, as others have said the story is not a happy one mate. No foreign vehicles are allowed in at all without an import license, available only to people in government or their families (i.e. military).
In Yangon the capital, there is a complete ban on all motorbikes and bicycles except those of military personnel. As for the east bordering Thailand, tensions are still high after the bombings last summer on the Thai exposition in Yangon and the continuing low key struggle of the hilltribes against central government, from inside Thailand. Internal security is also tight with the continuing efforts of the EU and the US's pressure on the government to free the "Famous Lady House Prisoner".

Sorry to deflate the hope balloon, but it looks like Myanmar will continue to be closed for a long time yet.

Isnt it amazing, that such governments can go on and on, letting their own people live in ever deeper misery, and many times even making them seek refuge or killing them??

Basically this same thing happened on the other side of thailand in the seventies, with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (though they must´ve been the craziest of all!) and the outside world just waited and did nothing, until the KR were mad enough to go against the vietnamese.

Its scary that is still possible for a government to totally "shut" their country from the outside world, and start doing whatever they feel in their sick brain is necessary.