Myawaddy travel guide

Myawaddy (Burmese: မြဝတီ; Thai: เมียวดี; RTGS: Mia-wadi; S'gaw Karen: ရၤမတံ; Pwo Eastern Karen: မေဝ်ပ္တီ; Mon: ဗြဝတဳ) is a town in southeastern Myanmar, in Kayin State, close to the border with Thailand. Separated from the Thai border town of Mae Sot by the Moei River (Thaungyin River), the town is the most important trading point between Myanmar and Thailand.

At some point, this is expected to be a full international border crossing as part of the Asian Highway Network route AH1 which will connect Tokyo in Japan with the border between Turkey and Bulgaria. In July 2015, the part between Kawkareik and Myawaddy opened. Myawaddy is a moderately popular destination for tourists and expats in Thailand who want to make a "visa run", i.e. get a new Thai entry permit stamp by making a short visit to another country. Many western foreigners receive a 30-day entry permit when re-entering Thailand. Other nationalities even receive 90 days.

There are several guesthouses and small hotels, but be sure to call or book ahead since not every accommodation in Myanmar is available or licensed to tourists.

Getting in

There are several buses daily from Hpa-an (Pa-an) and Mawlamyine (Moulmein) to Myawaddy, as well as a few buses from Yangon (12 hr). Shared taxi from Hpa-An is 8,000 kyat and takes 2½ to 3 hours. From the Thai town of Mae Sot, take a songthaew or other transport to the border crossing at the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge over the Moei River; Myawaddy is immediately on the other side of the bridge. The ride from Mae Sot is between 20 by Songthaew. Foreigners must have a visa for Myanmar prior to entry. It can be obtained in Bangkok within a day when applying in the morning, or simply online.

Getting around

Myawaddy is centred on the wide strip of highway that leads from the Friendship Bridge through town and is small enough to be explored easily on foot; alternatively, ubiquitous red bicycle rickshaws go everywhere.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.