Wayzata World Factbook 1994/World Factbook - 1994 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1994).iso/pc/text/txtfiles/burma.tvl

Text File | 1994-04-11 | 4KB | 71 lines

#CARD:Burma:Travel\Consular Information
Myanmar (Burma) - Consular Information Sheet
July 9, 1993

Country Description:  Burma, renamed Myanmar in 1989, experienced major
political unrest in 1988.  Conditions are stable under a military government
except in remote border areas where longstanding insurgences persist.

Entry Requirements:  Travel to and within Myanmar is strictly controlled by
that country's government.  Passport and visas are required.  Tourist visas
are issued for package/group tours as well as to foreign individual tourists
(FITS).  Border entry for U.S. citizens is available only at the border post
of Tachilek, for tourists who come by land from Thailand.  Myanmar visas may
be issued at the point of entry to certain individual tourists and group
travelers.  FITS must exchange a minimum of $200 for dollar denominated
foreign exchange certificates upon arrival.  For more current information,
the traveler may contact the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar, 2300 S Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel. [phone], or the Permanent
Mission of Myanmar to the U.N., 10 East 77th St., New York, N.Y. 10021, tel.
[phone].

Areas of Instability:  Insurgents are active in the highland regions of
Myanmar, but the central lowland area is safe.

Medical Facilities:  Hospital and medical services are available in Rangoon.
 Elsewhere, medical care is limited.  Travelers may wish to take appropriate
precautions to avoid exposure to cholera, tuberculosis, plague, leprosy, and
typhoid.  Malaria is also present outside the Rangoon and Mandalay
metropolitan areas.  Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash
payment for health services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always valid
outside the United States.  Supplemental medical insurance with specific
overseas coverage has proved useful.  The international travelers hotline at
the Centers for Disease Control can be reached at [phone] for
additional useful health information.

Information Crime:  Security in tourist areas is generally good.  Lost or
stolen U.S. passports should be reported to local police and the U.S.
Embassy.  The level of violent crime and crime against property is low.
There are occasional reports of pickpocketing.  Useful information on
guarding valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad
is provided in the Department of State pamphlet, "A Safe Trip Abroad."  It
is available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing
Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Drug Penalties:  Travelers are subject to the laws and legal practices of
the country in which they are traveling.  Penalties for possession, use or
trafficking in illegal drugs are strict and convicted offenders can expect
stiff jail sentences and fines.

Other Information:  Roads are poor in Myanmar.  Trains are uncomfortable and
not always punctual.  Myanmar Airways (formerly Burma Airways Corporation)
has had a poor safety record in the past.  Photographing persons in uniform
or any military installation is discouraged by Myanmar authorities.  Customs
regulations are restrictive and strictly enforced.

Registration:  Americans who register at the U.S. Embassy may obtain updated
information on travel and security within the country.

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy is located at 581 Merchant Street,
Rangoon.  The telephone number is (95-1) 82055.

No. 93-183

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated November 13, 1992 to add
information on visas and medical facilities, and on reporting the loss or
theft of a U.S. passport.

#ENDCARD