How accessible is Northern Burma?

[Marmite the Dog]

A mate of mine is interested in visiting Northern Burma crossing over at one of the Thai land borders.

To be honest, there doesn't look like there's much on the Burmese side of Mae Hong Son, so he'd probably be better off going over at Mae Sot.

Can foreigners go into the Burmese interior in the north? If so, where to go?

[WujouMao]

A mate of mine is interested in visiting Northern Burma crossing over at one of the Thai land borders.

To be honest, there doesn't look like there's much on the Burmese side of Mae Hong Son, so he'd probably be better off going over at Mae Sot.

Can foreigners go into the Burmese interior in the north? If so, where to go?

All land borders are locked off to foreigners. You can go only as for as the border towns. If you want to go further afield you need to fly.

When i was in Burma, the furthest i was was Mawlamyine which is only about the distance from Bangkok to Ayuthaya. This isnt very far from Myawadi border town.

Things are changing rapidly now in Burma, but still some areas are off limits to outsiders.

There is a place called Kengtung, which my LP maps points out there there is Thai style pagodas, hot spring and exotic hill-tribe treks. You can fly there from Myanamr, or travel there by jeep from Tachileik. If you cross over from thailand to Kengtung, you're forbidden from going any further.

[Marmite the Dog]

Thanks mate - I'll pass the info on.

[Bangyai]

The border at Mae Sot is still closed , even for visa runs so you can't even cross the bridge. To do with a dispute over refugees being forcibly returned.

https://teakdoor.com/thailand-and-asi...thorities.html (Thai-Burma Friendship Bridge closed by authorities)

[Marmite the Dog]

I'm thinking of advising him to go to Rangoon and take the train up through Burma, but he'll be entering Thailand at Chiang Khong so it's a ball-ache to go all the way back to Bangkok and then out to Rangoon.

[misskit]

I went from Mae Sai/Tachilek to Chiang Tung in northern Burma for a week, but it was three years or so now.

A Thai in our group went and met with some taxi drivers that stay parked under the bridge there. That taxi driver made some arrangements with Burma immigration for us and we got a few days visa. The taxi drivers took us to Chiang Tung.

I was told it is illegal but we did it.

I can dig around and find the phone number of the guest house in Chiang Tung who may be able to update on the situation, if you like.

[Marmite the Dog]

I can dig around and find the phone number of the guest house in Chiang Tung who may be able to update on the situation, if you like.

That'd be nice - thanks.

[misskit]

Harry's Trekking House
No. 132 Mai Yang Road
Kanaburoy Village, Quarter 4
Keng Tung, E.S.S.
(95-084) 21418, 22075, 22420

[Marmite the Dog]

Fangs

[mikem]

When you go to Tachileik immigration you need to say you need a 15 day visa.
You are required to pay for a guide for the entire trip. Can organise at the travel agency next to immigration office.
There are also bus tours. In Chiang Rai city 4 lens may still be doing these.

[Marmite the Dog]

Thanks Mike.

[mikem]

They introduced the guides because westerners weren't following travel restrictions.
A guest house was either closed or closed to westerners because that is where the westerners were staying when they went off to the wrong place.. I think it was called Harrys.

[misskit]

^I stayed at Harry's a couple of days, but they didn't plan the itinerary or accompany me anywhere. The taxi driver was the one who was supposed to be the guide. He only showed up when he was needed.