JaneB

We are running out of time before leaving for Bangkok the first week in January. Our passports are STILL in Charleston, SC where we are having additional visa pages added. (This process has already taken over a month!!) I don't think we will still have time to mail passports to Wash. DC to get Myanmar visas. I was told by their office that 10 working days are needed to complete the paperwork for the visas plus mailing time. What, if any, are our alternatives?? Thank you for any suggestions.

Kathie

Yes, if you have a few days in Bangkok you can get a visa at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok.

sharon815

When we went into Burma from the Golden Triangle (last December), we were able to get our Myanmar visas at the border. We walked across and only stayed for a few hours so I'm not sure if you'd need a different visa for an extended stay.

Kathie

The "visa" that you can get when you walk over the border from the Golden Triangle area is NOT the same kind of visa you need to fly into Burma or to stay more than 24 hours. You MUST have a visa in advance, or you cannot even board your flight.

cytrav2000

I suggest you the e-visa.

JaneB

Thanks, everyone. We are planning about a 10-day trip so will need a tourist visa. The e Visa's are no longer available per their Washington office. So, I think I'm stuck with delaying our departure or hanging out in Bangkok till we can get one there. I had no idea that having additional visa pages added to the passport would take so long--up to 6 weeks! So if that could be a problem for any of you--prepare WELL in advance! Visa pages fill up MUCH faster in Asia than in Europe.

sandi

JaneB - I and a number of friends have all had had additional pages added to my passports and for all of us (although over a period of 1-1/2 years) they were returned in little more then 2-weeks. If you haven't already done so, I would suggest you contact the Passport office to determine why the delay and when you might expect these returned.

cytrav2000

Go to

http://www.visa.gov.mm
and to

http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/me...d=0&from=1

JaneB

I have contacted the passport office already and they said 6 weeks is normal turn around !!
The Myanmar embassy told me yesterday that e visas are no longer available to US citizens and our passports must be sent to their Washington or New York offices to have visas attached.

JaneB

cytrav2000: I tried out the e-visa site again just now--and LOW AND BEHOLD, I was able to complete the application, it took my Visa CC (Visa is the only option for payment) and I received an email confirmation that it was being processed. Moral of this story is--don't believe all you are told and keep trying!! What a relief. Thanks!

cytrav2000

That's good news JaneB.
I plan to go to Burma in August.
If you don't mind please send me some tips and advice from your trip when you return home or post it here in the forum. My email is: [email protected]

JaneB

I will most certainly do that--and thank you again. I had almost decided to skip Burma this trip and concentrate on India. But--I kept hearing that song from childhood, "On the road to Man-da-lay, where the flying fishes play......"

JaneB

I applied for my e-visa and received it in 1 working day. My passport with additional visa pages arrived yesterday (5 weeks after mailing it to Charleston passport center). However, my husband's passport is still "in the mail". I can only assume that it will arrive in a day or two.

cram

Are you working with a travel agent in Myanmar? He may be able to help out, because two months ago we did the entire procedure on the basis of emails and without having the ppts physically sent anywhere. It may be worthwile to contact this or another travel agent to see whether they can and are willing to help out for a fee. The entire visa procedure cost me 25 usd per person. I describe the procedure as it went in my trip report, posted on this board Nov 13 (Trip Report Myanmar Oct 26 - Nov 12). If any questions, go ahead. You can post them in response on my trip report, I'keep an eye on it).