Burmese Visa Run... Bai Mai Dai!

[Fidel]

Anyone planning on doing the visa run from Ranong to Victoria Point be warned that the Burmese have closed the border. W**kers!

 

I travelled for seven hours by bus and then paid for the boat across in the pissing rain only to be turned back.

 

I was told I could still go to the Andaman Casino but that costs 1,200 baht!!

 

 

[thalenoi]

How do you get there?

 

Did you take that road to the right 13 km before Ranong coming from Chumpon where you can take a boat ride out of Thailand?

 

 

 

I heard there is much confusion concerning the Ranong visa run.

 

 

 

Some friends jsut made a visa run there a few weeks ago.

 

Since when would that border be closed?

 

Thanks for clarifying.

[gummigut]

Hmmm, I don't know the actual locations but there could be a little possibility of the Thai military build up on the border regarding Thailand's intention of capturaing a specific Wa general that's on Thailand and US's lists of drug folk. The fact that Thailand announced this decision diplomatically to Burma and Burma didn't protest has a bit to do with how rapidly things are developing I think.

 

 

 

This is probably as deep as we would want to go here but it is always good to ask if a certain waypoint is open before going if at all possible.

 

 

 

<<burp>>

[Guest]

"Since when would that border be closed?"

 

 

 

As of 10:00 PM Tuesday night. This is in today's "Bangkok Post":

 

 

 

Rangoon seals entire frontier as row spirals; Doors closed to all except casino visitors

 

 

 

Burma has shut its entire border with Thailand but left the door open for gamblers to visit its border casinos.

 

 

 

Since midnight on Tuesday, the entire border, from Mae Hong Son in the North to Ranong in the South, has been closed.

 

 

 

The extreme reaction follows Monday's cross-border shelling that has soured relations between the two neighbours, which earlier appeared to have improved.

 

 

 

However, the casino at the Andaman Club opposite Ranong, another casino in the Golden Triangle area and the Paradise Resort opposite Chiang Rai remained accessible to Thai gamblers yesterday.

 

 

 

Panithi Tangphati, advisory chairman of Tak's chamber of commerce, estimated the border closure would cost traders about 140 million baht per day in cross-border business.

 

 

 

It would have economic repercussions on both Thai and Burmese villagers in the area.

 

 

 

The closure would also put a stop to millions of baht worth of joint economic, industrial, farming, tourism, energy, infrastructure, transport and public health projects along the border, Mr Panithi said.

 

 

 

About 300-400 million baht in daily circulation in the tourism business would also come to a halt.

 

 

 

``It is unfortunate that both sides' efforts, budgets and time invested to bring their relationship to the best-ever level have been suspended,'' said Mr Panithi.

 

 

 

In Tak, cross-border trading and crossings by people between Mae Sot and Burma's Myawaddy town were completely halted yesterday.

 

 

 

A source from the local Thai-Burmese border committee (TBC) in Mae Sot said the panel was verbally informed by Myawaddy authorities yesterday morning that the border had been closed as of 10pm on Tuesday.

 

 

 

A barbed-wire barricade manned by five Burmese soldiers was erected in the middle of the Thai-Burmese Friendship bridge after Burma's TBC chairman Maj Thet Lwin received the closure order, the source said.

 

 

 

Thai TBC deputy chairman Col Archanai Srisuk said Burma gave no reason for the border closure. Communication by radio and mail between the two countries should not be affected, he said.

 

 

 

Tak governor Thiraboon Phobukkhadee yesterday warned border villagers in Mae Sot, Mae Ramat, Tha Song Yang and Umphang districts not to try crossing the frontier at this time for their own safety. It would also help avoid causing further misunderstanding between the two sides.

 

 

 

In Chiang Rai, Mae Sai district authorities realised the border had been closed only after noticing the border gate on the Tachilek side remained shut yesterday morning.

 

 

 

The unexpected border closure left some 200 Thai traders and tourists stranded in Tachilek and about 200 Burmese people in Mae Sai.

 

 

 

The stranded Burmese were allowed to cross back at 3.20pm after the Mae Sai district chief held talks with Burmese authorities.

 

 

 

In Ranong, Governor Nopporn Chantarathong warned all Thais not to cross to Burma's Kawthaung province. He said there was a good chance they could be detained there.

 

 

 

Somkiat Satthajit, head of the Thai-Burmese Cross-Border Traders Club in Ranong, said all imports and exports across the border were halted yesterday, but he believed the trouble would soon be solved by government-to-government talks.

 

 

 

Some 100 long-tailed boats in Ranong stopped taking tourists to Burma's Kawthaung yesterday.

 

 

 

However, the Ranong-Koh Son boat service was still open to take gamblers to a casino on the Burmese island.

 

 

 

The casino is owned by a Thai senator who has close ties with Burmese authorities.

 

 

 

In Kanchanaburi, villagers were also prevented from crossing the border at the Three Pagodas checkpoint.

[gummigut]

Once again, I stand corrected with egg on my face

 

 

 

<<burp>>

[Guest]

threads like this prove once again that this is a board that focuses on travel, culture, information, and not just sex.

 

 

 

I did the mae sai border twice, the Rayong run once, and always would recommend the cambodia poipet border run. It's much easier as far as time goes. if you leave early enough in the morning you can be back in BKK for dinner and a fresh 30 day visa.