Myanmar’s surprise cash checks: Dollars and insurance needed for entry

According to the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar has announced that it will randomly inspect foreign tourists on arrival. US dollars in cash and medical insurance are required for entry.

The embassy yesterday, September 14, reported that the Burmese authorities urged foreigners entering the country for less than 14 days to prepare for a random inspection upon arrival.

According to the embassy, foreigners must have health insurance that covers treatment for Covid-19. The insurance must be from their home country or an international insurance company, such as Myanma Insurance. Click HERE for more details on the insurance.

The Myanmar Immigration Office also urged tourists to have US dollars on them at the immigration counter. The amount of cash required depends on the consideration of the authorities. The Royal Thai Embassy added that they would coordinate with the Burmese authorities later to confirm the amount of cash required.

The Thai embassy gave an initial recommendation to prepare a reasonable amount of money for your trip to Myanmar. The embassy noted that the Burmese authorities recommend tourists have US$1,000 (35,000 baht) in cash on them when they travel.

The embassy also suggested that tourists carry hotel booking information and places they have stayed in Myanmar along with the documents on their return flights or any trips out of the country.

Many Thai netizens took to the comments section of the Thai embassy’s official Facebook page to voice their opposition to the measure. They said they felt unsafe carrying too much cash in the country. Some said the measure was unreasonable as they spent less than 1,000 baht a day in Myanmar.

According to the Barrons report, Myanmar will offer visas on arrival to Chinese and Indian tourists to attract more foreigners and boost the country’s tourism. The report added that the country was also planning to extend visa-on-arrival to Russian visitors.

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