Flightster

Visa Run to Burma (The Union of Myanmar)

• by Mark Lawrence
• on February 21st, 2011
• 1 Comment

U.S Citizens entering Thailand can stay for 30 days, but if they want to stay longer they have to “leave the country” and re-enter in order to extend their visa.  This is where a visa run comes in.  It’s just a jaunt across the border to a neighboring country only to instantly return to obtain a visa extension.  Popular destinations for this include Penang, Malaysia, or Poi-Pet, Cambodia.  I was going to head to Cambodia anyways and didn’t want to head to far south to Malaysia, and had been curious as to what Burma was like.  I opted to head to Ranong, Thailand so I could cross into Kawthoung on the Burmese side of the border.

The logistics are pretty straightforward but the experience anything but.  Ranong was a very laid back Thai city with a very colonial feel to it.  The few foreigners I had met there all seemed to be there only for the sake of a visa run.   I shared a wooden longtail boat from the Ranong Market with a very nice British couple.  The ride across the waterway was very picturesque with houses perched high on stilts.  It took us a little under an hour to reach the Burmese side of the border.  It was here I had my first encounter with the famed Military Junta.  I was told it would cost $10 to enter Burma.  When I arrived I handed over my crisp $10 bill.  It was thrown back at me in disgust.  Apparently the Burmese Junta will accept only perfect $10 bills.  By perfect they mean 100% mint with absolutely no scuff marks, creases, or any marks at all.  My bill with a small crease did not meet their standards.  They told me I could purchase a $10 bill from them that they deemed acceptable or I would be turned away at the border and could return back to Thailand without a visa.  These aren’t really people you argue with.  So I used my $10 bill PLUS $5 in baht to purchase a cleaner looking $10 bill.  (They didn’t even let me touch the $10 bill I was purchasing to pay them with but did let me see it).

Currency is a confusing thing in Burma.  The Burmese currency has be demonetized and reintroduced many times.  The most recent reintroduced notes were in weird denominations.  I saw 15, 45, and 90 kyat notes.   Imagine trying to pay for things with denominations like that.   I explored Kawthoung for several hours before it was time to leave and go back to Thailand.  Burma is an incredibly interesting country with a very introverted world presence.  I would have liked to explore more of Burma, but was not allowed to pass outside of Kawthoung.  To explore the rest of the country you must enter through another entry point.  (This is a whole other story).

I headed back on the longtail boat after a uniformed Junta member stamped me out of The Union of Myanmar.  I was enamored and intrigued by this incredibly beautiful and complex country.  If you’re in Thailand and need to make a visa run, look into Kawthoung via Ranong.  You can stay up to 2 nights in Kawthoung, but this is subject to change (as are all things in Burma).

Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence's motto is "Live your passions, follow your dreams, ignite your lifestyle", and that he does. A world traveler, avid salsa dancer, and airline mile hacker extraordinaire, Mark has a passion for learning new languages and experiencing life. His entrepreneurial journey has led him to Co-Found SpotHero When he's not hosting couchsurfers in his native Chicago, he blogs at Lifestyle Ignition.