If you want to visit Burma as an independent traveller, the easiest option to get your visa is in Bangkok. Despite recent news, there still is no visa on arrival available for tourists (only for pre-booked tours).

How to get your Burma / Myanmar visa in Bangkok

Preparation

You will need your passport (still valid for at least half a year), two passport photos and a copy of the personal details page of your passport. If you don't have that, you can get the photos and the copy in a shop near the embassy (see below).

At the embassy, visa section (open from 9 am to noon)

Do you have the filled out visa-form ready?

No - You have two options:

The stressful one: Walk into the embassy past the queue, ask for the two paged form at the counter 4 or look for a pile of papers with that form.

The relaxed one: Walk 100 metres further into “Thanon Pan” past the visa entrance and look for the sign “photo and copy fax”. Buy the form for 5 Baht, sit down at a table in the shop and fill it out. If you have problems, the shop owner is happy to help you.

Tip: The shop also offers to make passport photos and a copy of the passport page for reasonable fees.

Yes - Join the queue for counter 4. During the high season months (November to February) the queue will almost certainly start on the road already.

Processing

Counter 4 just checks, if you filled out everything correctly and then gives you a tag with your number. Once your number is called, go to the counter and pay your regular fee of 810 Baht. Two workdays later in the afternoon from 3:30 to 4:30 pm you can return to the embassy and get your passport with the visa in it back. Have a quick look to check, if everything is allright, before leaving the embassy. The visa just entitles you to stay 28 days in Burma (the arrival day counts too).

1035 Baht is the fee to get your visa the next day in the afternoon. For a same day service you have to pay 1260 Baht. For these express services you should have a plane ticket as a proof.

During high season from November to February bring something to read with you, as you might have to wait for three hours or so. At the end of June I just needed one hour to get it done. I also think, that during high season you should join the queue at 10 am at the latest to make sure, that you will be serviced until 12 am.

How to get there: Take the BTS/sky-train to Surasak and exit at no. 3. When you exit to the footpath, make a U-turn to walk back to the direction from where the sky-train came. Walk past the Christian school building and arrive at “Thanon Pan”. Turn left into Thanon Pan and cross the street and you will see the visa section entry of the Myanmar embassy.

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