On August 28, both Myanmar and Thailand open four new checkpoints to both regional and international travellers, a sign of further normalization.
BANGKOK – Myanmar and Thai citizens, as well as foreign tourists, are allowed since yesterday to pass through four Thai-Myanmar border checkpoints, including Myawady, starting from August 28, according to Burmese immigration officers in a talk with Myanmar newspaper: “We have received instructions to allow Thai citizens and foreign tourists to pass through all four border checkpoints on August 28. The remarkable thing is that Myanmar citizens with visas and passports will also be allowed to visit Thailand through the border crossings,” said an official from the Immigration and National Registration Department of Myawady District.
The four concerned areas are checkpoints between Tachileik and Mae Sai, Myawady and Mae Sot, Kawthaung and Ranong as well as Htee Khee and Sunaron. This means that foreign travellers can enter or exit through any of those four check-points but also combine it with another point of entry such as international airports of Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay.
The decision was taken. This follows the government’s announcement to amend its list of restricted areas after an improvement in rules of law and stability in the country. The new official checkpoints will however not be opened for visa-on-arrival.
The government has also announced that the Parliament will offer abolish visas for all ASEAN nationals from the next fiscal year. Until now, only Laotian citizens benefit from visa exemption for a stay not exceeding 14 days.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
