SE Asia IX - Christmas Day in Burma

On Christmas Day I went to Burma. Kawthaung is a Burmese town on the opposite side of the river Perchan to Ranong in Thailand. It is a popular place to do the visa run. Most westerners arrive at the immigration hut, pay their money, get their stamp, and jump on a boat out of Burma. It is an intimidating chaotic atmosphere, which doesn't encourage lingering. In the guidebooks they actively encourage people not to have a look around and say that Kawthaung has little to offer and is just the same as the Thai town you just left. This is complete tosh. Kawthaung is quite different to Ranong and while it won't win tourist destination 2008 there are a few sights worth visiting.

Westerners do the trip to Kawthaung to renew their visa for Thailand. If you leave Thailand and then retrn you get given another tourist visa (although you can only do it 3 times consecutively before you have to visit a Thai embassy or consulate). It is called the 'visa run'. When you arrive at Burmese immigration in Kawthaung you pay the Burmese officials $10 (US dollars). They stamp you as a day visitor (you can stay 2 nights). The $10 has to be absolutely perfect, the notes cannot be marked or creased. I gave 10 $1 notes and the official checked each of them before stamping my passport. It is a dubious honour to say that you have given the Myanmar regime $10 of clean crisp notes.

I would recommend doing the visa run (even if you don't want to visit the town) just because it feels like something out of a bygone age of travelling. Ranong port is filled with long boats. Once you have boarded one and waited for more passengers ("We leave now" never means now but when the vessel is full) you head off to Thai immigration. Thai immigration is a hut on stilts in the river. Long boats crash into one another pulling up outside the hut. The boat man grabs your passport, hops between the long boats, and disappears into the hut. He returns with your stamped passports and the next stop is Thai customs. Thai customs is another hut on stilts next to a small island. When we left Thailand they waved us through. When we returned to Thailand they boarded the long boat and I had to empty my bag before the grinning army boy, who sniffed my ginger tablets, and helped me put it all back in my bag. It is then a 30 minute crossing of the estuary to Burma. It is practically open water. You are first met at another small island by Burma customs, who check some of the passports. The next stop is Kwantaung itself. The port is again filled with long boats and you crash into some as you make your landing at the pier. Once you get off the long boat you are greeted by all sorts of people selling you just about anything. For instance, after my tour around the town I was sitting in a long boat to return to Thailand. Two boys were chatting to me. One of them I had met waiting at Burma customs as he was working on another boat (he is the boy doing the 'peace' sign behind me in the top photo). He was 15 and his younger brother 13. The 15 year old boy tried to sell me a prostitute based on her being much cheaper than a Thai equivalent. His brother tried to sell me viagra and do a currency exchange on 30 Euro cents. Burmese immigration is in a hut on the otherside of a small bridge. The Burmese officials were very nice and spoke excellent English (I expected an American style immigration welcome where they want to kick you out as soon as you have arrived). The whole process is completely mad and well worth experiencing. Alot of Westerners pay big money to go in a big boat with other westerners and not mix with the riff-raff. If you do it that way you miss out on half the fun. The long boats I was in were full of smiley locals who seemed quite impressed to have a Farang in their boat.

I could have turned tail as soon as I arrived in Kawthaung but I wanted to have a look around. I had paid for a guide, Jung, to show me around for a couple of hours. It is possible to wander on your own, but I wouldn't recommend it. The area around the pier is swarming with people looking to make money out of you. The fact that I had Jung, a local, showing me around meant alot of people didn't bother hassling me and those that did I could ignore. Jung took me for a cup of tea with a mate of his Win. We chatted about Burma and Kawthaung. He gave me some options of what I could do over the next couple of hours. I choose the motorbike tour. We hired a bike, he drove and I sat pillion, and headed off to Victoria Point. There are statues of King Bayintnaung He is not popular with the Thais. He had a habit of invading Thailand and doing it successfully. The big golden statue has him pointing at Thailand. We then headed for the main road in town. The first thing I noticed was that there weren't any cars, just lots of motorbikes, and some very old trucks (possibly from the Second World War). Officially they drive on the right however this seems to very loosely followed. The Pyi Taw Aye Pagoda is stunning. It also has a great view over Kawthaung. We headed back into town and stopped at a few souvenir shops and the market. Thais visit Kawthaung for the shopping, everything is cheaper here.

The Burmese people, like the Thais, are very friendly and I was greeted by lots of smiles. The poverty in comparison to Thailand is noticeable. There was alot more begging than I had encountered in Southern Thailand. I was met by a little girl outside a shop who spoke excellent English. We chatted briefly and then she asked me for money. When I arrived I was followed by a young monk who had his begging bowl extended (Jung asked him to go away). When we went for tea piles of different food stuffs arrived on the table. I had a pastry. It seems that if you don't eat what appears infront of you you don't pay, and seeing me everyone wanted to get their choice morsels under my nose.

The whole experience can be intimidating and I wouldn't recommend trying to do it alone. I paid Kiwi Guesthouse in Ranong 400B for the whole visa run process. It made it a much more enjoyable experience. I also paid 300B for a tour guide (Jung) for 2 hours in Kawthaung who also accompanied me on the long boat trips. The hire of the motorbike cost an extra 150B. I would recommend the guide, you get a personalised tour where you find out alot more and see alot more then you would if you ventured out alone. I went through Kiwi House to arrange the guide. Alternatively Jung and Win are trying to setup an independent venture (very difficult under Burmese law). If you would like to call Win direct his mobile number is 0848436241. He offers a 500B 2 hour walking tour (minimum of 2 people), a 750B tour in a car including lunch, and a 2000B night in a hotel including a car tour and breakfast and lunch. If you go to Kawthaung under your own steam you'll probably be greeted on the pier by Win. He is an Indian guy with a withered hand. If you don't fancy a tour he'll try and sell you some viagra.