Riding "through" Myanmar with no guide

[KTMphil]

This is a bit of an eye opener, Chris on the Triumph Tiger 800 pointed out to me that some rider's managed to get their itineraries approved to ride into Myanmar on the India side at Tamu and exit Myanmar at Myawaddy & we think they were authorized to ride through Myanmar WITHOUT A MYANMAR GUIDE.

From their page:

When we got the letter drom Myanmar, allowing us to enter from Tamu and exiting into Thailand we were also flubbergusted. Yes, they said we were the first bikers to cross Myanmar, but they also granted previously to people to cross by bycicle and few days before us, they allowed about 20 trucks, mainly Germans to cross as well. Infact we met them in Myanmar.
We wrote a letter to the Myanmar Embassy in Rome, requesting, as politely as posible, the permission to cross the country. After about two months, they called us from the embassy and requested a detailed itinerary. We submitted the itinerary. They responded that we had to make a slight change, because in the area of tandwe, there is some insurgency and they do not allow foreigner to go there. Also motorcycle are not allowed in Yangoon.
We modified the itinerary and after a week we got the letter from the myanmaris fovernment, written in myanmaris. It seems that they are opening up and truly hope so, because the country is fantastic!Cheers!
Paolo





First time we know of this legally without a Myanmar guide.

 

[alexuk]

So who wants to go to the beach?

 

[KTMphil]

Greg informed me that some rider's in November 2013 on Enfields have entered Myanmar from India too


Link to their blog:


Blog | Riding to Rangoon | across India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar by motorcycle, well that's the plan?

After an hour or so this fascinating exposé was interrupted by the return of the scoping party – yes, the Burmese had given the OK. A quick stamp of our passports and a sad farewell to Incredible India and we mounted the bike, hearts racing at getting so close to the final obstacle in our journey, and followed a local policeman on his scooter along the road towards the frontier. We were pulled up at the Indian Customs post on the way where a stern looking gentleman started questioning our escorts. What we feared was a spanner in the works turned out to instead be an insistence by the mustachioed official that he be photographed with us before we were allowed to pass, a request with which we of course quickly complied.

 

[LivinLOS]

So all that must have a guide and must pay the permitting fee ???

Seems like FUD put out by the bike tour company businesses to me.

 

[Andy Benfield]

Thanks for the mention! Yes we did indeed manage to get across and continue without an escort, but getting in needed special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nay Pyi Taw. This we got following a special request made by the Embassy I work with in Yangon - as far as I know the Ministry would have said no had I not had this connection with the country...

 

[KTMphil]

Andrew

Thanks for the great information, good for us to know that it was a "special" situation and a qualifying Myanmar tour guide is probably still needed from the india international border crossing into Myanmar with a foreign motorcycle.

Thanks for the mention! Yes we did indeed manage to get across and continue without an escort, but getting in needed special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nay Pyi Taw. This we got following a special request made by the Embassy I work with in Yangon - as far as I know the Ministry would have said no had I not had this connection with the country...

 

[MastaMax]

So who wants to go to the beach?

Alex, my boss used to go to the beach in Burma for years about 7-10years ago, he says it's fantastic.

 

[flyingdutchman177]

a couple of weeks ago, i rode my Thai regestered motorcycle across the border in to Myanmar from Mae Sai.
the Thai side charged me 50 Baht and gave me a receipt
the Myanmar side charged me 500 Baht, gave me a entry permit and held on to my passport. the entry was good for two weeks
the Thai side said i had to have the the motorcycle back in 3 days or they would charge a 1000 Baht per day penalty. but i think there is a way around this if different paperwork is files
the guy on the Myanmar side said i could ride only within 2 km from the border but i headed out of town on route 4 to see how far i could get.
after about 8 km, i got to a police check point but everyone was asleep so i just rode on thru. after that, there was a toll booth. i paid 5 baht and rode 80 km away from the border to the next big town

 

[flyingdutchman177]

the town i got to was Mong Phyak
there was a police check point before the town and i was flagged over
i lifted my visor, smiled, shook the police guy's hand.
he smiled back and waved me on thru.
i had lunch in Mong Phyak
there was really nothing to see or do there. i just wanted to see how far i could get in to Myanmar.
i really dont think anyone cares any more
if they were not holding my passport back at the border, i dont think there would be anyone stopping me all the way to India.
i am going to try it again further south and see what happens
by this time next year, it might be opened up completely
let's hope so

 

[Goran Phuket]

In March 2013 we've seen near Hpa An couple riding Italian registered BMW GS from India to Thailand. They had no escort. No idea how they managed to do that.

 

[Lone Rider]

Another report on people who traveled from India into Myanmar in the "Irrawady" - Crossing the Indo-Burmese Border on Motorcycle by Emilie Röell

Actually it is not a report by other people as Emilie, who wrote the story in the Irrawaddy was part of the couple referred to above - post no 3 - http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...iding-through-myanmar-no-guide.html#post37571

 

[brake034]

And on a Royal Enfield Lone Rider!
Here is more on the story and guess what?? The girl is Dutch:

Their website: Riding to Rangoon | across India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar by motorcycle, well that's the plan?

Myanmar times articles:
From Delhi to Yangon
Delhi to Yangon: an overland adventure
Riding to Rangoon: Part 3

 

[Forest]

Alex, my boss used to go to the beach in Burma for years about 7-10years ago, he says it's fantastic.

Indeed it is fantastic!Myeik archipelago as well.although lack infrastructures ,is worth the ride!
And fantastic is also this route on the map below,with Buthan being the most difficult and axpensive to get in.but to go to Nepal you dont necessarily have to going through Nagaland/india..that's a plan ifbthey make things easier in Myanmar!!