India To Thailand Overland

illinois333

Hi all hope you're fine.

I'm trying to organize a journey to Thailand (and further) from India, Delhi. An Overland Journey passing by Myanmar.

I know all the voices about conflicts and so, infact the best way to find out whether a tourist is allowed into this country is to go to the local embassy.

But my question is did any of you take a trip to Myanmar during the past 2 months?

If yes how many of you did go to Thailand through Myanmar?

Thank you for the reply.

Illinois

theyyamdancer

For some advice on part of your proposed route, take a look here:


India to Myanmar

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machadinha

It should technically be possible to fly into Myanmar, then cross over by land into Thailand (Myanmar's only open land border; well, there's been talk of tentative land border openings into China, don't know about their current status).*

Thing is last time I heard about this (years ago, in fact), it seemed that border may close at the drop of a hat due to various troubles, whether internal or between the two countries. I've also seen it said here that it is in fact not open to international travelers.

Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Forum would probably be a good place to look for further information on this, in its various relevant country sections: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/index.jspa.

* nb Check also Lonely Planet's comments on Myanmar's land borders here (and contradicting or qualifying what I said just now): http://www.lonelyplanet.com/myanmar-...re-away#307006; note I don't know how up-to-date those are, but they look fairly so (have certainly been updated since last time I looked). Doesn't look too enticing, and note their general summary there that:

What could be remotely interesting to Indian citizens is their mention that

It would be interesting to see if you can find out if "foreigners" here includes Indians. I wouldn't hold your hopes up on it and so would suspect it does; but could be worth looking into. (If it's closed to Indians, and unless India allows in the Burmese there, then it would effectively be a closed border, no. Could well be one of those cases of just allowing local trade though, or something -- or of an existing border crossing that is in fact closed, indeed --, I really know nothing about it.)

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illinois333

Ehy thanks a lot.

Checking those links too.

Just one thing the issue has melt into one post: India to Malaysia and Sumatra (Indonesia) by boat

I think you Machadinha are writing there too

Would be like writing in two posts about the same issue!

SORRY but they were my first posts

OK then. Let's use just the other.

Thank you

Illinois

bijapuri

There are plans to restore the old WW2 Burma Road, which in fact has been improved over most Burma and China stretches. The country lagging is India.

I am ready for that one, guaranteed!

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piran_e

Bijapuri, I guess you are talking about the Stillwell road. Physically there is nothing wron with the road on the India side and it is very much operational. The road is open once a week to allow cross boundry trade between India and Mayanmar. Every year in Jan there is the Pangsu Pass festival when they allow tourists to also cross over to Mayanmar, but you have to return back on the same day.

The only hinderance for openin the road is lack of political will from the India side. The locals have been fighting to open the road since many years.

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bijapuri

thanx for the update. I can't wait to be able to ride the whole road continuously!

edwardseco

Neither here nor there but the Burma-Chinese border is in a bit of tumult just now. At one time that was actually open to forens (long time ago now)..

hvkumar

The ASEAN Car Rally - in 2005, I think - had cars driving from India to Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore, but that was a high-level Govt-to-Govt event. That was probably the first time that any such overland drive on such a scale has ever happened in recent times. IN many places in Burma, roads were specially set up to enable the rally.

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