Is the Mae Sot border open to foreigners for border bounce?

Is Ranong the only option for border run in Myanmar? Mae Sot and Mae Sai still closed? Any other usable border crossing?

Asking for a friend: I know this group typically deals with people from Western nations but does anyone know the process for a Myanmar national to obtain permission to work in Thailand?

Since it's an ASEAN member, i'm not sure but my friend boss said they will obtain a work permission which can be renewed every 3 months at the Myawaddy border into Mae Sot. Once in Mae Sot, they can not leave the city. Seems to me to be shady and I just don't want my friend to end up in some kind of trouble.

Anyone know anything about this ?

Big problem!,…went to Mae sot old friendship bridge today Friday, to do a border bounce and was informed by Thai imo that the mayanmar immigration stopped stamping you in/out of mayanmar just after songkran ! So my only option was/is to go over to Laos border or Mae sai, both 6 hour drives away, so after being back healed by the Mae sot border I didn’t want to have the same problem/rejection by the Mae sai immigration, I’m in Chiang khan at present pondering which option I have left,. Nong Kai or luang prabang, or is there another friendship bridge, my dilemma is my present 30 day stamp is up on 6 TH may (Saturday), any help or advise on my best option please,. TIA,.

Mae Sot-Myawaddy border crossing: a Burmese colleague has spoken with immigration, who is adamant foreigners can now spend the day in Myawaddy on the same terms as Thais.

It's day return only, no overnight stays allowed. So for border bouncers, you now have the option to walk around town just as long as you deposit your passport with immigration, as per the usual system that existed pre-Covid.

For now, no travel outside Myawaddy is permitted nor are you able to travel to Myawaddy from the interior of Myanmar. Visas aren't recognized for entry.

The bridge opening hours are shorter than previously: 6am-6pm Thai time, instead of 5am-8pm.

To be confirmed, when I visit Mae Sot soon, so I'll update here.

Myanmar land entry - can someone who's been to Ranong, Mae Sot or Kanchanaburi recently provide some insight into whether farang (or basically any foreigner that isn't a Thai citizen) can cross into Myanmar and spend the day or stay overnight? We already know that Mae Sai/Tachilek is open for stays of up to 2 weeks on the Burmese side and there has been a trip report on that already here, so need to mention that border.

I'm interested in traveling to Myanmar, in particular, using the Mae Sot/Myawaddy crossing that I'm very familiar with or Ranong/Kawthoung due to the many nice islands in the area.

However, there is simply no up to date information available, even from official Thai immigration sources, about the rules for foreigners crossing into Myanmar. If you call them (as I have) you'll be given conflicting information or some outdated entry rules for Thailand. Of course, we can't necessarily expect Thai immigration to know Burmese immigration rules, but calling Burmese immigration isn't likely to be successful.

I know border bounces are permitted at Mae Sot and while it seems that 99% of people in this forum have zero interest in spending even a minute longer than necessary outside of Thailand (hence don't care about anything other than being allowed to get a stamp to come straight back), I am actually interested in travel and don't need to do border bounces. I realize that the region outside of Myawaddy is dangerous and don't expect to be allowed to leave the city, but would have expected foreigners be allowed the same privileges as Thais in this regard, which is to be permitted to roam around the town during the bridge opening hours.

Anyone been to a Thai-Myanmar border crossing and knows the current situation? Would appreciate any updates. Doesn't matter if you didn't actually cross over or only did a border bounce. It's what immigration told you that matters.

Referring to my older post. What is the easiest driveable border point for a border bounce? I’m still waiting to here back on if Khanchanaburi is open. And ranong down by Phuket is open but the whole take a long tail thing seems sketchy to me. Is Cambodia a good and easy one?

ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS (especially you people up in the North West)

## Mae Sai - Tachileik Border w/Burma

I wanted to post this because I was declining too many posts from people asking about Mae Sai. :O So if you tried to make a post asking about it and got denied apologies. ;)

Just so we're 100% clear on this; even though they announced the Mae Sai / Tachileik border crossing with Burma is open, in reality, (for all practical purposes) it is NOT open for foreigners to bounce in and out at :O

By that I mean, it's not open like it was pre covid (Mar 2020). You cannot just show up pay for the day pass, bounce out-n-back with Burma and stamp back into Thailand.

You have to BUY a visa for Burma before you show up at that border. You also need a negative covid test & proof you were vaccinated. So that means before you decide to bounce there, you get a real visa to get in, either at a Burma consulate here or via the Burma eVisa website.

That makes bouncing out-n-back at that border not that attractive for the "budget conscious" travelers :P

The ONLY border with thailand and burma that is open like it was before is the Mae Sot / Myawaddy border in Tak province.

You can bounce out and back there for 500 baht. no visa or anything required to get stamped in and out of burma.

For all other border bouncing you people up in the Northwest need to do it in Chiang Rai province with Lao.

Use either Chiang Saen (where you cross in-n-out of Lao by boat) or Chiang Khong / Huay Xai (where the friendship bridge is).

Well that went ok,. Mae sot border bounce,. Came into thailand on a 60 day tr visa, extended for another 30 at Kamphaeng Phet imigration office, due to expire on 22/2/23 so went to nearest border to me, Mae sot, left home at midday and arrived Mae sot 3pm, (border open 0630 to 1830) first mistake was following the main (big) no 2 friendship bridge signs, gets there and it’s a massive border post with hundreds of trucks at it, after about 15 minutes driving/walking around (very little signage) and asking various people about how to proceed with a border bounce and being met with blank faces, eventually found an imo officer, only to be told they don’t do public visa,s at this post, told to go to no 1 border post (the old friendship bridge)a few kms away, gets there, parks car at entrance to border post, walk in and get directed to the main immigration office 100 yards further on as you walk onto bridge (not allowed to drive car over and back) go into IM office only 2/3 officers inside as it was nice and quiete, fill out a TM6 go to imo departure counter, photo and fingerprints taken, and gets stamped out of thailand, walk across the bridge 5 minuite walk, come up to mayammar border post to be greeted by an official looking fellow who enquires what do you want ?,. tells him it’s a stamp in and out of Myanmar , he gets another imo to take your passport off you and 500 bht disappears and comes back 5 minuites later with myanmar entry and exit stamp,. I ask to why it was 500 bht, as I thought it was 300 bht to be met by more blank stares !,.I’m assuming it’s 200 bht for the fixer that he splits with the imo officer, and 300 bht to the proper channels, anyway, walk back over bridge and go back into same office as before, fill in another TM6 go to arrivals counter, photo and finger prints taken again, stamped back into thailand 45 days out the door and walk back to car and away,. My very 1st border bounce, done and dusted in about an hour, next one due 6/4/23 but may do it on 31/3/23 to get another 45 days instead of the 30 days if it goes back to the old system on 1/4/23,. Thai imo was telling me it can be really busy at this post with Myanmar people crossing especially during Songkhran period, i guess I got lucky, as only 2/3 people in front of me during the whole process,. “ word of warning” 2nd mistake,DONT take any photos inside building as its frowned upon, I didn’t see any “ no cameras” signs, and thought I would take a couple of snaps to post on here to help future “ bouncers” I got busted and had to delete 2 photos and told its a big No no, a couple of wais and much apology and stated it wasn’t signed as a no photo area, apparently if they want to,they can show you the door, so be warned,. My bad !