Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
GETTING TO MYANMAR: RANONG TOWN TO VICTORIA POINT
(KAWTHOUNG)
The dusty, tumbledown port at the southernmost tip of mainland Myanmar was named Victoria Point by the
British, but is known as Ko Song (Second Island) by the Thais. The Burmese appellation, Kawthoung, is most
likely a corruption of the Thai name. Most travellers come here to renew their visas, but the place also makes an
interesting day trip.
Fishing and trade with Thailand keep things ticking over, but Kawthoung also churns out some of Myanmar's
best kickboxers. Nearby islands are inhabited by bands of nomadic
chow lair
(sea gypsies; also spelled
chao leh
).
The easiest way to renew your visa is to opt for one of the 'visa trips' (from 1000B per person including visa
fees) offered by travel agencies in Ranong such as Pon's Place, but it's relatively easy to do the legwork your-
self, and you'll save around 200B.
Getting to the border
When the Thailand-Myanmar border is open, boats to Kawthoung leave from the pier at
Saphan Plaa
(Pla Bridge) about 5km from the centre of Ranong. Take
sŏrng·tăa·ou
(passenger pick-up truck) 3
from Ranong (20B) to the pier, where long-tail captains will lead you to the immigration window then to their
boat (per person one-way/return 150/300B). When negotiating your price, confirm whether it is per person or
per ride, and one-way or return.
At the border
At the checkpoint, you must inform the authorities that you're a day visitor if you don't plan on
staying overnight - in which case you will pay a fee of US$10 (it must be a crisp bill; you can get one from har-
bour touts for 500B). The only big hassles come from 'helpers' on the Myanmar side who offer to do everything
from carrying your day pack to collecting forms, then ask for tips, but they're generally more friendly than ag-
gravating.
If you're just coming to renew your Thai visa, the whole process will take a minimum of two hours. Bear in
mind when you are returning to Thailand that Myanmar's time is 30 minutes behind Thailand's. This has caused
problems in the past for returning visitors who got through Burmese immigration before its closing time only to
find the
Thai Immigration office
( 8.30am-4.30pm) closed. It's a good idea to double-check Thai immigra-
tion closing hours when leaving the country - if you don't get stamped in you'll have to return to Myanmar
again the next day.
A quicker, easier (especially for self-drivers) and much more polished alternative - albeit sterilised and less
interesting - is to find the
Andaman Club
(
www.andamanclub.com;
Hwy 4; 850B; 8.30am-3.30pm) pier,
just north of town, off Hwy 4. At the terminal, you'll get your passport stamped in minutes, and a Myanmar
bound ferry (25 minutes each way) leaves hourly from 8.30am to 3.30pm, docking at a flash casino resort. The
whole trip costs 850B, and for an additional 490B you can take a half-day tour along the Myanmar coast from
the casino.
Moving on
It's possible to stay overnight in one of Victoria Point's dingy, overpriced hotels, but you'd probably
rather not. If you have a valid Myanmar visa in your passport, which you'll have to apply for at the Myanmar
Embassy in Bangkok (or a third country), you'll be permitted to stay for up to 28 days and exit anywhere you
like, taking your passport with you. If not, you'll have to leave your passport at the border and grab it on your
way back to Ranong.
POST
Main Post Office
(Th Chonrau;
9am-4pm Mon-Fri, to noon Sat)
TELEPHONE
