Expats in Myanmar required to register before travel
- Phuket2006
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why do none of the people i know in Burma have to do this? Or for that matter even know about it as i asked them today.
2 are on 1 year business visas (need leave every 70 days) and 1 is on a marriage visa ( he is American and never has to leave but frequently travels outside Mandalay as he runs motorcycle tours and has for the past 2 years) and his father actually comes for 4 months each year and gets a family visa
2 are on 1 year business visas (need leave every 70 days) and 1 is on a marriage visa ( he is American and never has to leave but frequently travels outside Mandalay as he runs motorcycle tours and has for the past 2 years) and his father actually comes for 4 months each year and gets a family visa
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
- Petrol Head
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Foreign residency is a newer scheme. I started on a business visa and after I got 3 of them, I could get the FR certificate.Phuket2006 wrote:why do none of the people i know in Burma have to do this? Or for that matter even know about it as i asked them today.
2 are on 1 year business visas (need leave every 70 days) and 1 is on a marriage visa ( he is American and never has to leave but frequently travels outside Mandalay as he runs motorcycle tours and has for the past 2 years) and his father actually comes for 4 months each year and gets a family visa
Not sure whether this situation continues, or whether business visa holders will be forced onto the FRC once their existing business visas expire.
Irrespective, that they want to know exactly who is living in, and where is definitely a thing. Everyone in fortress foreigner has had to fill out the forms in both languages, regardless of nationality or visa status.
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Good.
No different from Laos where the "give your passport number to the owner of the accommodation" has teeth and both you and the locals get punished for disobeying it. I can just see a proliferation of meddling, subversive hipster expats trying to stir up the Rakhine region with some liberal idiocy... or maybe Thai border hoppers trying to exploit lax law enforcement for underage kicks.
The UN definition of a pariah state is just another word for "state we intend to meddle in", so Burma really shouldn't give two fucks and instead put itself first.
No different from Laos where the "give your passport number to the owner of the accommodation" has teeth and both you and the locals get punished for disobeying it. I can just see a proliferation of meddling, subversive hipster expats trying to stir up the Rakhine region with some liberal idiocy... or maybe Thai border hoppers trying to exploit lax law enforcement for underage kicks.
The UN definition of a pariah state is just another word for "state we intend to meddle in", so Burma really shouldn't give two fucks and instead put itself first.
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Sorry, just found this thread.
I have a FRC that was given to me last year after my employer renewed my business visa in-country. It states my address in Mandalay (at that time).
When I did a visa-run to Bangkok from Mandalay Airport, the immigration officer asked to see my FRC, but then returned it to me.
when I was working for a few weeks in the town of Maihlang, (not in a restricted area, but also not a tourist place), my employer had to get permission from the authorities to allow me to travel and work there.
I'm working in Naypyidaw now, so it will be interesting to see what happens when I exit from Naypyidaw airport on my next visa run in a few weeks time.
Also, my employer in Naypyidaw tried to rent a house for me to stay in, but the police would not allow a foreigner to live 'among the locals'! I'm having to live in a 4-star hotel...
I have a FRC that was given to me last year after my employer renewed my business visa in-country. It states my address in Mandalay (at that time).
When I did a visa-run to Bangkok from Mandalay Airport, the immigration officer asked to see my FRC, but then returned it to me.
when I was working for a few weeks in the town of Maihlang, (not in a restricted area, but also not a tourist place), my employer had to get permission from the authorities to allow me to travel and work there.
I'm working in Naypyidaw now, so it will be interesting to see what happens when I exit from Naypyidaw airport on my next visa run in a few weeks time.
Also, my employer in Naypyidaw tried to rent a house for me to stay in, but the police would not allow a foreigner to live 'among the locals'! I'm having to live in a 4-star hotel...
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When I rented one flat in Vientiane the property manager told us "You never have to worry about police, they will never come here, we pay our bribes on time every month". Comforting...
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I've used AirBnB in Vientiane. Strictly speaking they may be breaking the law, but haven't heard of any confirmation banning it so far. It may come in time, but wherever you stay in Laos, there doesn't seem to be any enforcement on registering yourself or showing your passport. In my experience of having traveled in and out of Laos for 14 years, they only check passports in the more tourist oriented places anyway, and even in some of these cities, they aren't too strict about it - it depends on the hotel. I have never seen them look at or photocopy anything other than the passport information page and if you're traveling with other people, they generally only want to see one passport. In this respect, they are about the same as Thailand and Cambodia.
Myanmar and Vietnam are a different story. Only once in both of these countries have I ever not been asked for my passport. In Pyin Oo Lwin and Mu-se in northern Myanmar, as well as Myawady, a border city next to the Thai border, I filled in the "foreigner registration form" myself, using my passport and visa details, in all other cases a clerk took my passport and filled in these details for me, returning my passport to me within 5-30 minutes depending on the hotel and city. In Vietnam, just once was I not asked for my passport (at a hotel in Dalat).
I know a couple of expats living in Yangon. He tell me they travel to Bangkok at least once every 1-2 months anyway, so never stay the full 70 days allowed on their business visas. This is because they get exhausted of living in Yangon and "need a break" so only being able to stay 70 days and then being forced to leave is never a problem. No idea how things will be for them if this law is entered into force, but they reportedly rarely travel outside of Yangon save for going overseas.
Myanmar and Vietnam are a different story. Only once in both of these countries have I ever not been asked for my passport. In Pyin Oo Lwin and Mu-se in northern Myanmar, as well as Myawady, a border city next to the Thai border, I filled in the "foreigner registration form" myself, using my passport and visa details, in all other cases a clerk took my passport and filled in these details for me, returning my passport to me within 5-30 minutes depending on the hotel and city. In Vietnam, just once was I not asked for my passport (at a hotel in Dalat).
I know a couple of expats living in Yangon. He tell me they travel to Bangkok at least once every 1-2 months anyway, so never stay the full 70 days allowed on their business visas. This is because they get exhausted of living in Yangon and "need a break" so only being able to stay 70 days and then being forced to leave is never a problem. No idea how things will be for them if this law is entered into force, but they reportedly rarely travel outside of Yangon save for going overseas.
- Phuket2006
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EVERY city i have been in Myanmar (at least 30) they have taken my passport and made copies for police where ever i have stayed ( from 5000 kyat rooms to $50/night hotels- except once when they allowed us to stay illegally in mogok) and a few times before i was allowed to travel by boat, once on arrival on domestic flight ( to Khamti) and a few police stops when i was traveling by motorcycle
PLUS every time i stay at a hotel in Thailand & Laos (and i have been allover) they ask for my passport.
PLUS every time i stay at a hotel in Thailand & Laos (and i have been allover) they ask for my passport.
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
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In Thailand, I haven't shown my passport in years, only once in the past few years has it been insisted upon although I was able to show my friend's passport instead in that case. Otherwise, even if they ask for a passport, a Thai driver's licence or other equivalent document is good enough and has always been accepted. It doesn't matter whether I'm staying at a 5-star resort or a 500 Baht countryside "resort" i.e. Thai motel style accommodation with surrounding gardens, this has been my experience. In general, they don't ask for any ID at all in the countryside. Ditto for Cambodia. Laos - in rural areas it's pretty much the same - never even asked for a passport. In urban areas, most hotels in the major tourist areas will ask for one, but venture a bit further towards the outskirts of places like Vientiane and Luang Prabang and they don't care anymore, especially if it's a hotel that sees few foreigners.
Myanmar has always been strict, even more than 10 years ago when I went there for the first time. Some hotels in frontier areas where few foreigners stay or they have only recently started receiving foreign guests in the last few years when the land borders opened aren't really used to the registration system so it takes them longer, but they generally follow it anyway.
Myanmar has always been strict, even more than 10 years ago when I went there for the first time. Some hotels in frontier areas where few foreigners stay or they have only recently started receiving foreign guests in the last few years when the land borders opened aren't really used to the registration system so it takes them longer, but they generally follow it anyway.
- Phuket2006
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seems u and i have very different experiences and i drive alot in Thailand.black69wolf69 wrote:In Thailand, I haven't shown my passport in years, only once in the past few years has it been insisted upon although I was able to show my friend's passport instead in that case. Otherwise, even if they ask for a passport, a Thai driver's licence or other equivalent document is good enough and has always been accepted. It doesn't matter whether I'm staying at a 5-star resort or a 500 Baht countryside "resort" i.e. Thai motel style accommodation with surrounding gardens, this has been my experience. In general, they don't ask for any ID at all in the countryside. Ditto for Cambodia. Laos - in rural areas it's pretty much the same - never even asked for a passport. In urban areas, most hotels in the major tourist areas will ask for one, but venture a bit further towards the outskirts of places like Vientiane and Luang Prabang and they don't care anymore, especially if it's a hotel that sees few foreigners.
Myanmar has always been strict, even more than 10 years ago when I went there for the first time. Some hotels in frontier areas where few foreigners stay or they have only recently started receiving foreign guests in the last few years when the land borders opened aren't really used to the registration system so it takes them longer, but they generally follow it anyway.
like i said been all over Myanmar in the past 2 years ( 6 trips) ,from the far north to the far south and all points in between, the trip down the Chindwin river never saw another Barang, but was asked for my passport at each gh, a few, i even had visits from the police.
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
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I also drive a lot in Thailand too (in fact I haven't used any other form of transport in years). I think you're simply used to being asked for a passport and just do as you're told when the vast majority of hotels would gladly accept a Thai driver's licence. Not a big deal to most people, but in a country which you consider home it's almost an insult to be asked for your passport everywhere like a tourist. At least that's how I would feel. It's different in countries like Myanmar, which is still paranoid with regards to foreigners, even though the country has opened up immensely in recent years. Anyway, just my two cents. Cheers!Phuket2006 wrote:seems u and i have very different experiences and i drive alot in Thailand.black69wolf69 wrote:In Thailand, I haven't shown my passport in years, only once in the past few years has it been insisted upon although I was able to show my friend's passport instead in that case. Otherwise, even if they ask for a passport, a Thai driver's licence or other equivalent document is good enough and has always been accepted. It doesn't matter whether I'm staying at a 5-star resort or a 500 Baht countryside "resort" i.e. Thai motel style accommodation with surrounding gardens, this has been my experience. In general, they don't ask for any ID at all in the countryside. Ditto for Cambodia. Laos - in rural areas it's pretty much the same - never even asked for a passport. In urban areas, most hotels in the major tourist areas will ask for one, but venture a bit further towards the outskirts of places like Vientiane and Luang Prabang and they don't care anymore, especially if it's a hotel that sees few foreigners.
Myanmar has always been strict, even more than 10 years ago when I went there for the first time. Some hotels in frontier areas where few foreigners stay or they have only recently started receiving foreign guests in the last few years when the land borders opened aren't really used to the registration system so it takes them longer, but they generally follow it anyway.
like i said been all over Myanmar in the past 2 years ( 6 trips) ,from the far north to the far south and all points in between, the trip down the Chindwin river never saw another Barang, but was asked for my passport at each gh, a few, i even had visits from the police.
- Phuket2006
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drivers license i use as a from of id and have for 30 years. BTW, dont consider it an insult at all to be asked to show my passport, i know the laws.
The hotels ASKS for and it required to ask, to check ur visa and they are than responsible to sending in a report (registering all Farangs that have checked in)
The hotels ASKS for and it required to ask, to check ur visa and they are than responsible to sending in a report (registering all Farangs that have checked in)
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
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