Applying for a Myanmar visa in Bangkok is surprisingly straightforward if you know where to go. Here’s some tips on making it easy on yourself.
Today I picked up my tourist visa for Myanmar, where I’ll be heading this Saturday. Getting a visa for Myanmar in Bangkok is pretty straightforward if you know how the Myanmar Embassy works.
Myanmar tourist visas take two working days to process at the Bangkok Myanmar Embassy and currently cost 810 Thai Baht. You can pay an extra fee of around 300 Baht (I think) and collect your visa the same day provided you arrive to apply for it first thing in the morning. You then pick it up in the afternoon.
The Myanmar Embassy is open for visa applications from 9 am to 12 noon and 1pm to 3pm. The earlier you get there, the better. All you need to do is fill in the Tourist Visa form (A4 size) and the Arrival Form (A5 size), affix a passport sized photo to each form and then queue up on the right hand side to hand in your passport and application forms and pay your visa fee. At the time of writing, the tourist visa forms are currently located on the left hand side of the counter and the business visa forms are located on the right hand side, so make sure you have a tourist visa form. (You can get the forms and full info about what you need for your tourist information at the official Myanmar Embassy Bangkok website).
Filling out the tourist visa form is straightforward. Remember to avoid writing anything controversial under Occupation like “journalist” or “photographer”. Keep it as bland as possible. Similarly, write the name of the first hotel you are staying at – or one you have seen in your guidebook – under the space for your Place of Residence during your visit.
Myanmar Embassy, Bangkok
Depending on the queue, you can file your forms within an hour or so. The earlier you get there the more chance you have of beating the queue. It is common sense to not leave getting a Myanmar visa to the last minute – give yourself a few days space before you depart for Myanmar in case any problems occur. Remember that the Embassy will be shut on both Myanmar and Thai holiday days – as it was when I applied for my visa – which will delay your visa pickup by one more day.
Collecting the visa is best done in the morning, before 12 noon. The official collection time in the afternoon is from 3pm onwards, NOT from 1pm when the Embassy reopens after lunch. If you arrive at 1pm to collect your visa (as I did), you will be standing around waiting for at least half an hour until the officials finish whatever work they are doing and decide to start handing out completed visas earlier than 3pm.
The Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok is located at 132, Sathorn Nua Rd in Silom. It is very near to Surasak BTS Skytrain station. From Surasak station, go to Exit 3. Walk down onto street level and then turn right when you get to the bottom of the stairs so that you are walking along the pavement underneath the Skytrain station. You will pass the Skytrain’s escalator entrance. If you don’t, you are walking the wrong way down Sathorn Road!
Continue walking up the busy Sathorn Road for about 200 metres. You will arrive at a forbidding grey looking wall with big spikes on top at the corner of Sathorn Road and Thanon Pan. This is the Myanmar Embassy. Walk a few metres down the side road Thanon Pan and you will find the entrance to the Myanmar Embassy’s Visa section. It is a unmarked steel door with no handle. See the photo above.
If you find yourself waiting around during the Embassy’s lunch hour, there is the Thailand Book Tower another few metres after the Myanmar Embassy along Sathorn Road which has a cafe and English language newspapers. There is also an S&P Cafe on the opposite side of the road accessible by a pedestrian bridge if you need a full lunch. S&P does very good coffee – lattes, cappuccino etc etc.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Any reputable hotel or travel agency will get your visa for you, in 1-2 days. If:
1. You don’t mind paying an extra fee
2. don’t want to wait in a queue at the embassy
Before I figured this out, while waiting in the queue, I noticed travel agency represenatives with piles of passports and applications. These are the guys you don’t want in front of you in the queue.
Great guidance in every respect, except one small but important omission: you have to give them a photocopy of the main page of your passport. So take one with you because they won’t copy it for you and they’re not helpful in telling you where the nearest copier shop is. I walked for half an hour all over the place looking for one.
Good point Graham, same here and caught everyone in the queue out. Also if you work in Thailand they want to see your work permit, and have photocopies of all significant pages of work permit.
Hi Chris, Tks a lot for your tips!
I went to the Myanmar Embassy at this morning and it was easy to take the fast VISA. Just a small update in your page: the value to get this VISA is 1260 baht (810 + 450).
There is a photocopy near. You just need to go right at the same street and look for a small ad in your right.
Tomorrow I’ll go to Myanmar!
tks again
Hi Wagner, thanks very much for the extra info – appreciated. Happy travels in Myanmar – it’s an amazing place.
Thnx for the info! I will go there tomorrow!
Thank you so much for this informative website! I mailed a travel agency to get the visa arranged for Myanmar and they told me that it would cost 6,500B (3 working days). This was without any bargaining though
Anyway, with the above “instructions”, I think I can deal with it myself
one more tip
You need to use the visum in a month, So with a 2 month stay in thailand a ”early” visum don’t work
grtz
Thanks for the extra tip Maurice!
Just got our visa in Bangkok. 1260 baht (810 + 450) is still correct. There were many people (maybe because the embassy was 4 days closed (weekend and 2 public holidays), opened at 8:30 instead of 9) so we were lucky to have our forms already filled out. You can download the forms here: http://www.asterism.info/info/visa. Passport copy needed as well as a form we didn’t have about current and former employment which you will get there.
For anyone trying to get a visa for Myanmar in Singapore: We tried but failed as we didn’t have a business card or a confirmation of employment letter with us. The guy at the counter said this is the policy and we should try it in Bangkok as it is easiert to get there. So if you want to get in Singapore make sure you have a business card or confirmation of employment letter with you.
thx Chris , i followed exactly as u described it. went there in the morning around 9.30 a.m , it was not busy at all , got the application form at counter nr. 1 on the left side, filled it out ( 1xA4 1XA5 2Fotos, one copy first site passport) went back to the same counter, they checked it quickly, gave me a number, waited only 5minutes, called me to counter number 2, they checked the application AND passport, asked if i live in thailand, whats my profession, why go to burma, no problem at all. 810 baht, ready on wednesday 3.30pm. I asked if possible to pick up the passport in the morning but they said NO. Thanks again easy going !
Just did the whole thing. All the info is gold and the prices are still correct. Please! When you do this… just go in person and avoid the extortionate prices that the agencies are gunning for. Initially I tried to do it out of my hotel. They were quoting me 4000 baht and 4 business days. I said ok. Than they called me the following day and said it would take longer and that they needed more money. Screw that. I just did it by myself. It took one day and it was so much cheaper. Nice to meet some friendly people that are traveling to Myanmar as well!
thanks everyone for taking the time to verify the info is still correct – much appreciated. Happy travels – Chris
Hi All,
Thanks for above info.
I have visited Myanmar last week.
I have some corrections and amendments to above explanations.
1st correction:
”Surasak BTS Skytrain station. From Surasak station, go to Exit 3. Walk down onto street level and then turn BACK. you will pass Bangkok Christian School. Continue walking, after 100m, Myn Emb will be on the left street.
2nd correction:
for BUSINESS VISA, they need strictly an invitation letter to your name and COMPANY REGISTRATION letter of inviting company, in Myanmar Language. This document is not mentioned anywhere, but they ask for it!!!!!
Also the photocopy shop has fax and internet connection.
To connect gmail, sometimes you need to write: https instead of http
and one more; myanmar is very peacefull and welcoming country. hotels are comfortable. I advise Thingaha in NPT and ParkRoyal in Yangon.
best,
Altun
Does anybody know if it’s still possile to get the same day express visa? (Writing this on April 7, 2010). I heard rumours they’d been stopped.
Hi,
I am actually in Bangkok and i will apply for a tourist visa tomorrow (Monday 11th of April 2010). Does anyone know if it is possible to cross the border between Thailand and Myanmar by land?Does the embassy request a round trip plane ticket to deliver a visa?I would like to travel to Chang Mai first and then enter Myanmar!
I am a also an amateur cameraman and i am traveling with a (quite big) semi professional camera and tripod… Do you think i should ask the embassy if this will be an issue?I have never had any problems so far but this is Myanmar right?