How to get a Myanmar Visa in Bangkok

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Once an untouched land by tourists, Myanmar is quickly becoming Southeast Asia’s not-so-hidden gem. Even with its rise in popularity, getting a Myanmar visa can still be confusing. With that in mind here is my experience getting a Myanmar Visa in Bangkok complete with where to go, what to bring, and what to expect.

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Why Bangkok?

As the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand is located in the capital, getting your Myanmar Visa in Bangkok is the only place to do it in person while in the “land of smiles.” You can send away to get your Myanmar Visa but many travellers choose to get their Myanmar Visa in Bangkok as they don’t have to part with their passports. It is also cheaper. While living in Chiang Mai I looked into getting my Myanmar Visa through a travel agency there. Although it would’ve been easier to let someone else deal with that, it would have cost over twice as much as getting my Myanmar visa in Bangkok myself.

There is also an e-service that went live in late 2014 but early reports say it is not reliable. I suggest using a reputable online service if you go the eVisa route.

Where it’s at

Located at 132 Sathorn Nua Road, the Myanmar Embassy is open 9:00-12:00 (loosely) for visa application drop off then 15:30-16:30 for visa pickup. Turnaround is 2 days with next day and same day service available. If you require same day service bring your flight information as well as extra baht (1260 total) for the expedited service.

Looking for the best ways to get to Bagan?

What you need

For your Myanmar Visa in Bangkok application you will need the following:

Pictures (1 glued to the application, 1 loose)
Cash (1260 same day, 1000 next-day, 810 two-day)
Filled out the form (can get onsite for free or pay to get on the street)
Passport valid for 6 months
Copy of Passport
Passport free page

If you’re travelling through Asia there is no shortage of photoshops offering passport photos. If you miss that don’t fret. Along the street outside of the Myanmar Embassy, you will find several shops offering this service along with help filling out the forms if required. There are even pop-up shops out of the back of vans.

This could be that one time you hand your passport to some stranger in a van!

Myanmar Visa in Bangkok Good to Know

Here’s a list of good to know items for getting your Myanmar Visa in Bangkok:

Bring a pen (or pay 10 bat for one on site…or borrow one)
Bring cash (baht)
Go early (I arrived at 9:00 and there was a que)
Pick up early (same)

All in all, it took about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get my Myanmar Visa in Bangkok – 1 hour to drop off and 45 minutes to pick up. This was a pretty minor inconvenience in comparison to the great experience Myanmar and its friendly hospitality gave me.