Myawaddy or Myawadi (Burmese မြဝတီမြို့) is a border town in Myanmar. The Mae Sot (Thailand) - Myawaddy border crossing is the main overland entry point for foreigners wishing to get from Bangkok to Yangon or Thailand to Myanmar in general, and vice-versa.
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. However, for western foreigners no visa-on-arrival is available on the Myanmar side.
The time in Myanmar is 30 minutes earlier than in Thailand, and the traffic drives on the right.
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. The border opens between 06:00 and 18:00. The border crossing is hassle free: remember the name of the city you are going to and the name of an address you will stay in, so the crossing may be a bit faster.
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.
There are more temples with big pagodas a bit away from the town centre and in neighbouring villages. With decent transport the following are accessible:
Market, 16.688287°, 98.510563°. Afternoon & early evening. Explore this single street market of 2 km length and its side roads for an authentic Myanmar.
Although Thai baht used to be accepted in Myawaddy (as written in many places online and in guidebooks) this is no longer the case. There are ATMs that can be used to withdraw kyat. In addition, there are many money changers along the road right after the border post, but be cautious and double check.
Myawaddy Complex, 16.696008°, 98.498359°, +66 36 288 867. Casino and duty-free shops.
There are many restaurants and shops around along the street towards the border.
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.
Related Wikipedia article: AH1
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division