Exotic Thailand & Myanmar Andaman Sea and Islands Travel : Kawthaung South Myanmar Andaman Sea

Kawthaung south Myanmar is the southernmost city in the Andaman Sea

which is around 2000 km to the south. During English colonial times the was Victoria Point a exotic tropical "hole" and it is still one of the last real smuggling place in this area. This is also the home of the Myanmar fishing fleet and has the only real casino of the country on an island opposite the city which is run by a Thai company. They carry people from Thailand and vacationer from other Asian countries there for gambling in a comfortable luxury environment.

Southern Myanmar is the long tail all the way down to Kawthaung or as the British called it Victoria Point. British colonial time in Myanmar is long gone but the colonial British are still very virulent in the area by different means. One of them was Rudyard Kipling and the Burmese girl at Moulmein.

Kawthaung habour

Victoria point has morphed into the Myanmar original Kawthaung and a trip to Burma is not as difficult anymore but still not easy. This area could have a great development but the relevant people in the capital don't care about anything, e.g even when having a official visa from the Myanmar embassy there is no way to come in or exit at any border crossing, there is only one option and this is Yangon Airport. This has been changed now (2014) but it still needs a visa from a consulate.

Visa run story

Probably the best stories of southern Myanmar

in the past came from Maurice Collis and not Kipling. The story "Siamese White" of the Maurice Collis is the best book ever written about that part of Myanmar in reference to the past, its a absolute classic.

The former Victoria point

South Myanmar at Kawthaung

This area always was a a ball jumping back and forward between Myanmar Kings of the past, Thailand Kings of the past and Portuguese, English, Chinese and Dutch, all of them left their mark on Yangon or Rangoon, Pegu or Bago, Moulmein or Mawlamyine, Tavoy or Dawai, Mergui or Myeik, the archipelago in between and Kawthaung or Victoria Point, the southernmost tip of Myanmar, then Burma.This includes the Isthmus of Kra just a bit north of today Kawthaung and Ranong in Thailand where since centuries the idea to create a channel between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific lived.

The Isthmus of Kra is where the shortest way over land between the two oceans exists

A channel such as the Panama Channel there would cut down the distance the ships have to travel between Europe and east Asia by around 10.000 kilometer.

Myanmar Thailand Border at Kawthaung

Since there are plenty of foreigners in Thailand who want to stay little bit longer it needs to extend the visa. The only way to do this is, exit Thailand and come back. Now every day some busloads of foreigner from Phuket, Ko Samui and even to Prachuap arrive at the Thai border at Ranong take the short ride to Burma get a new visa and that's it. The biggest problem here is, the Myanmar authorities want $ 10,-, no that's not the problem, the real problem is they only take notes fresh from the press which is impossible to find.

Kawthaung Ferry

Kawthaung Harbor

This is the stumbling point at many arrivals because they are totally stubborn and there is now way to deal with it, if the dollar bills are not absolute new, they wont give the visa. The immigration guys which finally are the military say they are forced to do so by the Myanmar foreign trade bank, but it doesn't matter because for the traveler it only matters the big problem.

At the harbor front

Kawthaung Harbor Front

Kawthaung Waterfront

When traveling to Malaysia for the visa run there are non of such problems, it only takes a few more hours or even Cambodia is an option since be using the bus via Bangkok it wont get much more expensive.

South Myanmar Pictures tell you more about the travel situation in the remote corner of the world. Not many people make the

Visa run at monsoon time

Myanmar Cruise

cumbersome adventure adventure trip beyond Thailand when there is only one problem after another by a bureaucracy (not the Thai) who really runs wild, its a real disaster for any Asia travel to see that there is still one country trying to lock out any tourist.

Cruising the Andaman Sea Myanmar

From time to time when the waves are to high this flimsy longtailboats
turn over and people get drowned.

In 2013 they made it mandatory that every boats carries life vests and amazingly most people use them.

This remote part of the country

is a very interesting destination and when using the ferry from the casino hotel, that's the white ship at the left picture which starts in Ranong but not at the usual place in the harbor. Actually if you want to have a look around the islands with the normal city limit visa there is a trick to do so. Stay in the casino hotel for a few night's and make a tour from there. They have the license to do so even when the tourist only come on the limites visa.