probing Myanmar unguided - some questions

[Johnsy]

Does anyone have any current info on doing a trip to Myanmar using your own bike?
There is a lot of info of “special groups” crossing from India or guided tours costing a small fortune but does anyone have any recent info on a small group going it alone into Myanmar i.e.; no guide, no set itinerary?
What is the best (least drama) to get in and get out?
What paperwork is needed for you and the bike?
Do you need a set itinerary to show the Authorities before and during the trip?
Is reasonable accommodation available most places and what are the prices and quality?
Myanmar is opening up and needs probing but current info is always useful

 

[bsacbob]

The most painless way is similar to Vietnam, fly into Mandalay and rent a bike, accommodation does for some reason is on the expensive side i have found, although the country is opening up little or no progress is being made to enter easily like Laos and cambodia.

 

[brake034]

At the moment there is quite a political issue going on: http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/shwe...g-party-chairman-amid-midnight-reshuffle.html

 

[Johnsy]

Thanks brake034 so the general elections are on November 8 which could be volatile, I was thinking of a self guided trip in early December but from the link you posted it seems things are far from settled in Burma.....not quite Myanmar yet.

 

[Lone Rider]

At the moment (at least for as far as I know) you still can't go on your own on your own bike into Myanmar and you will have to go through a fixer to get the permit to enter the country on your own bike. Ad Bob said, best way at the moment is still to fly in and rent a bike (Zach in Mandalay seems to be a very reliable guy with good bikes and he knows the way in and out over there) and design your own itinerary. Mind you there are still areas where you are not allowed to enter even though sometimes people do get into these areas.

 

[oldbloke]

As Bob said, best way at the moment is still to fly in and rent a bike (Zach in Mandalay seems to be a very reliable guy with good bikes and he knows the way in and out over there) and design your own itinerary. Mind you there are still areas where you are not allowed to enter even though sometimes people do get into these areas.

+1 .
Sometimes things change rapidly , especially when politics are involved, so prepare to be flexible with your trip planning. It will be a great experience regardless! Zach should be able to give advice about where you can/can't go. Even if the ceasefire agreements are all signed, it's likely to take some time before you will be able to ride unaccompanied ( if at all ) in some parts of Shan and Kachin States.

 

[Johnsy]

Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated. I will get in touch with Zach and put some feelers out to see what the situation is over there and post back when I have further info.

 

[blackwolf]

I'm hearing rumours, but things MAY change for the better after the November elections OR the entry into force of AEC 2015. So if you can wait just a few more months, it MAY become possible to enter Myanmar on a bike or car more freely starting after these times. I would recommend waiting until January and keep following the news, especially on travel websites such as TTRweekly.com to see if any announcements are made in the meantime. The Myanmar news sources such as the Irrawaddy often also report on these issues.

 

[TimBurma]

Bringing your own bike in will be a major pain in the whatsit. If you want it to be fully legal, you need to have it imported by a company with the correct license, pay the taxes (blah blah blah). Easiest thing would be to rent one or buy one in country(tripadvisor and ridetheworld have a few rental listings), if you want to buy one (flog it off when you're done with it-the loss incurred will probably be less than what you would have paid in rentals, downside is the chance of being encumbered with a total dud, and spending a significant chunk of said holiday hanging around a mechanic's shop), there's a secondhand motorbike market, as well as most decent mechanics have a handful of bikes for sale, or know a guy who knows a guy.... Authorities will mostly leave you alone, as long as you don't enter some of the no-go zones (almost all of Kachin State of off limits, as is Karen state. Most of Shan state is clear(and my favorite) as well as Chin State and most of the center and coast. Accommodation is not to be compared to the rest of the world, or asia even. Because of the current tourism boom (everyone wants to see it before everyone else sees it) prices for rooms are considerably higher in most cities than in neighboring countries, though good bargains can still be found. If you are planning on early December, it should be fine, just keep abreast of what's in the news, and take that with a pinch of salt. Cheers. Keep us updated, would be great to meet up in Mandalay if you do make it over.

 

[Dirt-Rider]

Thanks brake034 so the general elections are on November 8 which could be volatile, I was thinking of a self guided trip in early December but from the link you posted it seems things are far from settled in Burma.....not quite Myanmar yet.

Hi Johnsy, how are you getting on? Have you made it in on your own bike?

 

[Johnsy]

No decided on Laos instead for now....

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk

 

[blackwolf]

Bringing your own bike in will be a major pain in the whatsit. If you want it to be fully legal, you need to have it imported by a company with the correct license, pay the taxes (blah blah blah). Easiest thing would be to rent one or buy one in country(tripadvisor and ridetheworld have a few rental listings), if you want to buy one (flog it off when you're done with it-the loss incurred will probably be less than what you would have paid in rentals, downside is the chance of being encumbered with a total dud, and spending a significant chunk of said holiday hanging around a mechanic's shop), there's a secondhand motorbike market, as well as most decent mechanics have a handful of bikes for sale, or know a guy who knows a guy.... Authorities will mostly leave you alone, as long as you don't enter some of the no-go zones (almost all of Kachin State of off limits, as is Karen state. Most of Shan state is clear(and my favorite) as well as Chin State and most of the center and coast. Accommodation is not to be compared to the rest of the world, or asia even. Because of the current tourism boom (everyone wants to see it before everyone else sees it) prices for rooms are considerably higher in most cities than in neighboring countries, though good bargains can still be found. If you are planning on early December, it should be fine, just keep abreast of what's in the news, and take that with a pinch of salt. Cheers. Keep us updated, would be great to meet up in Mandalay if you do make it over.

Completely FALSE. Karen/Kayin State is now pretty much all open, in fact the Mae Sot/Myawady crossing just happens to be located in Karen/Kayin State AND is the most popular overland crossing between Thailand and Myanmar due to it's relative proximity to the major Myanmar tourism sites and transport networks. The new, Thai built road from Myawady to Kawkareik is possibly the best road in the whole of Myanmar, though it's only 45km long, it cuts the journey between these two towns down to as little as 45min, down from 3 or sometimes more hours previously, using the old one-way road that snakes it's way around a high mountain. The vast majority of car/motorcycle tours enter and exit Myanmar via this crossing. You can also rent motorcycles in Hpa-an (as I have) and ride all the way to Myawady and back, if you wish.

Shan State is only partially open (certainly not MOSTLY open as you claimed), with many parts of central Shan State currently under a state of emergency due to new fighting. Although it's perhaps the most interesting part of the country, only a couple of corridors are open for foreign travelers/expats: They include Mandalay to Mu-se road (although occasionally Lashio to Mu-se is off-limits however I've been to Mu-se twice without incident); Southern Shan State (Inle Lake, Kalaw, Aungban, Taunggyi, Lawksawk, Ywangan and surrounds) and eastern Shah State (Tachilek to Mong La corridor, via Kengtung), entry via Mae Sai or by flight from Tachilek or Kengtung. You can assume just about everywhere else is closed.

Please let's not go around giving out false information. Everyone knows the border at Mae Sot/Myawady is open and that you can travel all the way to Yangon, Mandalay, most parts of Myanmar overland that way - go to Lonely Planet's Thorntree forum to see just how many travelers ask questions about crossing there.

 

[markinthailand]

Blackwolf,

So what do you need to take your own bike into Burma at Mae Sot? I assume the same paperwork for a Thai plated bike to go out of the country is the same everywhere, but I'm interested in finding out what I need for entry into Burma.

Do you know if you need to enter/exit at the same place if you have your own bike? Guides are not required?

Thanks.

 

[blackwolf]

Blackwolf,

So what do you need to take your own bike into Burma at Mae Sot? I assume the same paperwork for a Thai plated bike to go out of the country is the same everywhere, but I'm interested in finding out what I need for entry into Burma.

Do you know if you need to enter/exit at the same place if you have your own bike? Guides are not required?

Thanks.

The requirements to take your bike into Burma from Mae Sot are no different than at any other Thai-Myanmar crossing, or to temporarily export a bike from Thailand into any neighboring country for that matter.

However, unfortunately, the only way you can cross with your bike (or car) to Myawady without a guide would be on a one day trip, limiting you to an approximate 12km radius from the border. You would need to return the same way you came and thus this is only appropriate if you are doing a visa run or going shopping in Myawady and are returning to Thailand the same day as foreign registered vehicles cannot stay overnight in Myawady unless they go on an organized tour with guide.

That is also the requirement to leave town and travel throughout the country in your car or bike. If going on a tour, there is no need to return to the same place as you entered. You may exit at any legal international crossing as specified in your itinerary. Unless you are heading to India or China, most drivers/riders who enter at Mae Sot/Myawady who don't exit at the same checkpoint head down to Htee Khee/Phu Nam Ron, or occasionally Kawthoung/Ranong, which requires a vehicle ferry to transport your ride to the Thai side. Mae Sai/Tachilek is another option, but for the time being foreign nationals require permission in the form of a permit to travel the road between Taunggyi and Kengtung, which is the only road that connects the Thai border at Mae Sai with the rest of the country. I am aware of group tours that have traversed this road; I believe Top Gear was one of the first group of foreigners who drove their own vehicles along this road back in 2013.

Who knows what might happen after the new government comes into power on April 1. Here's fingers crossed to Myanmar opening up more after that with unguided self-drive tours hopefully going to become a reality fairly soon.

- - - Updated - - -

Blackwolf,

So what do you need to take your own bike into Burma at Mae Sot? I assume the same paperwork for a Thai plated bike to go out of the country is the same everywhere, but I'm interested in finding out what I need for entry into Burma.

Do you know if you need to enter/exit at the same place if you have your own bike? Guides are not required?

Thanks.

The requirements to take your bike into Burma from Mae Sot are no different than at any other Thai-Myanmar crossing, or to temporarily export a bike from Thailand into any neighboring country for that matter.

However, unfortunately, the only way you can cross with your bike (or car) to Myawady without a guide would be on a one day trip, limiting you to an approximate 12km radius from the border. You would need to return the same way you came and thus this is only appropriate if you are doing a visa run or going shopping in Myawady and are returning to Thailand the same day as foreign registered vehicles cannot stay overnight in Myawady unless they go on an organized tour with guide.

That is also the requirement to leave town and travel throughout the country in your car or bike. If going on a tour, there is no need to return to the same place as you entered. You may exit at any legal international crossing as specified in your itinerary. Unless you are heading to India or China, most drivers/riders who enter at Mae Sot/Myawady who don't exit at the same checkpoint head down to Htee Khee/Phu Nam Ron, or occasionally Kawthoung/Ranong, which requires a vehicle ferry to transport your ride to the Thai side. Mae Sai/Tachilek is another option, but for the time being foreign nationals require permission in the form of a permit to travel the road between Taunggyi and Kengtung, which is the only road that connects the Thai border at Mae Sai with the rest of the country. I am aware of group tours that have traversed this road; I believe Top Gear was one of the first group of foreigners who drove their own vehicles along this road back in 2013.

Who knows what might happen after the new government comes into power on April 1. Here's fingers crossed to Myanmar opening up more after that with unguided self-drive tours hopefully going to become a reality fairly soon.

 

[markinthailand]

Thanks Blackwolf -- very helpful.

 

[TimBurma]

Blackwolf........Chill man, I'm not trying to get into a d**k measuring contest. The info I posted was based on personal experience, info given to me personally by local officials as well as what's publicly posted on the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism website:http://www.myanmartourism.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=419&Itemid=393 . I have lived here for almost two decades and ride daily, as well as run a motorcycle rental.

The Myawady border crossing might well be the busiest crossing, I never said it was closed, and it does have a lovely new road built, but leave that road and venture 50+kms into the villages and then see what reaction the army guys have....

Most of the tours from Thailand do come in that way, but like the OP said, he wanted info on bringing his own bike in......

Please, let's keep things civil. Happy motorcycling!

 

[oldbloke]

.... he wanted info on bringing his own bike in......

.... Happy motorcycling!

I don't have any info re bringing your own bike in except that while in a taxi in North Okkalapa, I and my taxi driver did spot a bike with Thai license plates!! 3 Somehow I think it probably got here because: a) it was small ( like 100cc or less.. only saw it from behind, b) the rider looked like a local ( from behind with no helmet ) c) the rider managed to avoid any checkpoints due to local knowledge. Anyway I'm pretty sure HE wasn't with a guide, but any foreigner would need one.
Everyone knows motorcycles are banned from downtiwn Yangon, but apparently it's either a grey area or complettely ignored in North Okkalapa - the place is swarming with cheap chinese machines, and a few Hondas and yamahas...
Traffic in Yangon has become horrendous, but most cars/taxis seem to have only 1-2 people in them so you'd think bikes would be a better solution! I guess they don't have the same status value.
For people's information the hotel I'm using in Yangon is not far from the airport, pleasant, clean because it's ceramically coated thoughout ( so rather sterile in aesthetics ) and has plenty of free parking so is probably a good spot potentially to ride into, park the bike, ditch the paid guide for a couple of days and explore Yangon via other transports. At US$25 a night it's a damn sight cheaper than downtown. Hotel Aye Myintmo : basic details at - http://www.tourllion.com/reservations/mm/yangon-2/hotel611.html

 

[TimBurma]

The bike with the thai plates was most likely owned and being driven by a police or army officer, as they can pretty much do what they like. I bought a Yamaha YBR a year or so ago from a guy and was surprised to see it still had it's thai plates on. I asked him why it wasn't registered. He told me that he didn't have to register anything........when I went to register it, there were, of course, many questions asked, I put them on the phone with the guy I bought it from and after he identified himself (was apparently a police officer) all questions suddenly dried up.


Some are more equal than others....


Most places on the outskirts of Yangon are grey areas for motorcycles, as the ban on motorcycles was an order by one of the generals, and not an actual law change, so it is difficult to know exactly where the line is drawn. You can even start seeing them on the backstreets off of Pyay Road, after about the 8-mile intersection.

 

[adityarajkapoor]

Hello....whats the latest overland with ur bike rules to cross from mae scott to India?

'Bike on a Hike'. Available at WWW.Amazon.com

 

[KTMphil]

Hello....whats the latest overland with ur bike rules to cross from mae scott to India?

'Bike on a Hike'. Available at WWW.Amazon.com

Looking complicated right now with the new Thai laws that came in yesterday, if there isnt an exception issued might not be possible? I think there will be a guided tour operator option coming to escort you between borders carrying all the border documents, that is just speculation right now.


apply3 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[DucatiDerek]

Guys,
I see this thread is over 6 months old and circumstances may have changed (worse or better). After some expert advise please.
I'm flying into Bangkok on 16th Feb, staying in Pattaya for a few days then I have until 9th March to do as I please (remarkable I know).
Really wanted to ride North->South Vietnam. However what's nagging at me is that I've looked at purchasing a New bike in Mandalay with the intention of riding it 'out' of the country, through Thailand and then into Laos and Vietnam. Maybe finishing journey in Vietnam or back to Thailand.

I take it there are rules/permits/costs that will stop me being able to just transit borders with a Myanmar registered bike and then have to potentially re-register it in e.g. Thailand.

As always any advice good/bad or indifferent is welcome.

Cheers
Derek

 

[blackwolf]

Guys,
I see this thread is over 6 months old and circumstances may have changed (worse or better). After some expert advise please.
I'm flying into Bangkok on 16th Feb, staying in Pattaya for a few days then I have until 9th March to do as I please (remarkable I know).
Really wanted to ride North->South Vietnam. However what's nagging at me is that I've looked at purchasing a New bike in Mandalay with the intention of riding it 'out' of the country, through Thailand and then into Laos and Vietnam. Maybe finishing journey in Vietnam or back to Thailand.

I take it there are rules/permits/costs that will stop me being able to just transit borders with a Myanmar registered bike and then have to potentially re-register it in e.g. Thailand.

As always any advice good/bad or indifferent is welcome.

Cheers
Derek

Myanmar registered motorcycles have never been allowed to enter Thailand, even before the June 27, 2016 law changes were made (except perhaps in Mae Sai but only if you don't stray away from the border area). Now there is an option to go on a guided tour with escort vehicle (just like Myanmar requires if heading in the opposite direction) though getting across to Vietnam would be another challenge as they won't let you in without a pre-arranged tour and escort vehicle either.

I've never heard of a Myanmar registered vehicle being taken out of the country and driven further than the border areas, irrespective of the border involved, whether it's Mae Sot, Mae Sai or Ruili, China, it's not possible and never really has been.

A much better option would be to purchase a Thai bike and organize a tour through a Thai registered travel agency to head into Vietnam, they tend to be much cheaper than contacting a Vietnamese tour agent yourself as Thai agents often send groups across to Vietnam (as well as Myanmar and China) and with their connections usually end up being significantly cheaper than contacting agents in the countries concerned yourself.

 

[DucatiDerek]

Myanmar registered motorcycles have never been allowed to enter Thailand, even before the June 27, 2016 law changes were made (except perhaps in Mae Sai but only if you don't stray away from the border area). Now there is an option to go on a guided tour with escort vehicle (just like Myanmar requires if heading in the opposite direction) though getting across to Vietnam would be another challenge as they won't let you in without a pre-arranged tour and escort vehicle either.

I've never heard of a Myanmar registered vehicle being taken out of the country and driven further than the border areas, irrespective of the border involved, whether it's Mae Sot, Mae Sai or Ruili, China, it's not possible and never really has been.

A much better option would be to purchase a Thai bike and organize a tour through a Thai registered travel agency to head into Vietnam, they tend to be much cheaper than contacting a Vietnamese tour agent yourself as Thai agents often send groups across to Vietnam (as well as Myanmar and China) and with their connections usually end up being significantly cheaper than contacting agents in the countries concerned yourself.

Thank you for the information. Sad that you cant ride an owned bike into another country without a guide! Am I going to get lost!?
So, looks like the option is...ride in Thailand or go to Vietnam and rent.

Even if I bought in Myanmar I'd not be permitted to take it out of the country!?

 

[bsacbob]

As previously mentioned locals can travel freely but within the immediate vicinity, they all have some kind of barcode system in place to keep tabs on them.

Travel in SE Asia is becoming more difficult each year.

 

[blackwolf]

Thank you for the information. Sad that you cant ride an owned bike into another country without a guide! Am I going to get lost!?
So, looks like the option is...ride in Thailand or go to Vietnam and rent.

Even if I bought in Myanmar I'd not be permitted to take it out of the country!?

Essentially you can't. Even in Mae Sot, which I visit very regularly, Burmese registered motorcycles can't be taken into Mae Sot. The customs authorities at the bridge don't allow it. Thai bikes can enter Myanmar, but generally speaking they must go on a tour though I did see one western couple ride a Chiang Mai registered motorcycle across the bridge back in March 2015, but can't verify whether they were entering on a tour or just a day return trip remaining within Myawady. Thai registered motorcycles are seen all over the eastern and southern parts of Myanmar but those bikes were sold by Thai traders (or smuggled into the country?) and despite their Thai number plates being attached don't attract any attention from the authorities. Cars are different though.

Burmese cars as well as Thai cars (including vans) can enter and exit as they please but aren't permitted to travel more than a certain distance within each other's country. There are checkpoints surrounding Mae Sot and they will stop Burmese vehicles that attempt to go further. Various minor exceptions exist - normally, Burmese cars aren't allowed to travel further than the first checkpoint on the Mae Sot-Tak road but for 100 Baht a document obtainable at customs will permit travel as far as the Phawo temple, 20km from Mae Sot. On the Burmese side, normally travel is restricted to the trade zone, 12km from town but I've seen Thai cars go further than this, it seems they must be in company of someone who knows the area. Normally Thai and Burmese cars aren't allowed to remain overnight in the other country - in Mae Sai and Tachilek they can remain for up to a week however.

A Myanmar registration is definitely the worst option for touring SE Asia and they only have themselves to blame. Since they don't allow foreign vehicles from any neighboring country in without a tour (except limited travel within the border areas and unofficial entries) Myanmar's neighbors rightfully reciprocate and don't allow their vehicles entry.