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Voykit pocket guide · Myanmar
Myawaddy
မြဝတီမြို့
Cross the Friendship Bridge, walk the highway strip and see the pagodas in 3–4 hours; sleep one night only if you arrive after the 18:00 border close.
Myawaddy sits on the Moei River at the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, the main overland crossing between Mae Sot and Yangon. The town is one wide highway strip, small enough to walk, with the Golden Pagoda 2–3 minutes from the checkpoint by rickshaw and the Crocodile Temple 6–7 minutes. Half a day covers the crossing, the market and the main sights; a night is only for onward buses or a late arrival.
- Country
- Myanmar
- Local name
- မြဝတီမြို့
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Avoid
- Mar–May (hot), Jun–Oct (monsoon)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MMK
- Money
- Payment and banking conditions are not assessed here; check with your bank and your government advice.
- Daily spend
- Budget 15,000–25,000 MMK excl. bed · Mid 25,000–40,000 MMK excl. bed · High 40,000+ MMK excl. bed (estimate; check)
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Fire and ambulance 199
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bus Myawaddy → Hpa-an | about 5,000 kyat |
| Shared taxi Myawaddy → Hpa-an | about 8,000 kyat |
| Private taxi Myawaddy → Hpa-an | about 10,000 kyat |
| Bus Myawaddy → Yangon | about 13,000 kyat |
| Street-market snack | 200–500 kyat |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MAQ · Mae Sot Airport (Thailand side)
- Nearest airport, in Mae Sot across the Friendship Bridge; songthaew from Mae Sot to the border takes about 20 minutes
- RGN · Yangon International Airport
- Bus to Myawaddy leaves 08:00, 09:00 and 10:00, takes about 12 h, about 13,000 kyatBus to Myawaddy leaves 8:00 AM, 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM, takes about 12 h, about 13,000 kyat
Typical fares
- Songthaew Mae Sot → Friendship Bridge
- about 20 min; agree the fare before boarding
- Bus Myawaddy → Hpa-an
- about 5,000 kyat, 3–5 h
- Shared taxi Myawaddy → Hpa-an
- about 8,000 kyat, 2½–3 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town is built along the highway from the Friendship Bridge and is walkable end to end; red bicycle rickshaws cover the rest.
See and do
Known for
- Shwe Myint Wan (Golden Pagoda)
- Myikyaungon (Crocodile Temple)
- Giant Standing Buddha
- Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge border crossing
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hpa-an | Shared taxi about 8,000 kyat, 2½–3 h; bus about 5,000 kyat, 3–5 h | About 3 h |
| Mawlamyine | Several buses daily, about 5,000 kyat | About 5 h |
| Mae Sot (Thailand) | Songthaew or other transport to the Friendship Bridge, then walk across the Moei River | About 20 min from Mae Sot |
Sleep
- Hotel Lawka
- Chit Kyi Yay Lane; call ahead, no online booking.
- Myawaddy Hotel
- Chit Kyi Yay Road, 750 m from the border post; US$22–30, breakfast included.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | တောင်းပန်ပါတယ်taung pan ba de |
| Thank you | ကျေးဇူးတင်ပါတယ်kyei zu tin ba de |
| How much is it? | ဘယ်လောက်လဲ?be laut le? |
| Where is the bathroom? | အိမ်သာဘယ်မှာလဲ?ein tha be hma le? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Scams and watch-outs
- Border opens 06:00–18:00; foreigners need a Myanmar visa before entry, no visa on arrival.
- Thai baht is no longer accepted; withdraw kyat at ATMs or use the money changers past the border post and double-check the rate.
- Myanmar time is 30 minutes behind Thailand and traffic drives on the right.
- Not every guesthouse is licensed to take foreigners: call or book ahead.
A border town, not a resort: keep your passport and visa to hand at the checkpoint, treat unofficial money changers with caution, and check your own government's travel advice for southeastern Myanmar before you go.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Myawaddy yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Shwe Myint Wan (Golden Pagoda)
- Myikyaungon (Crocodile Temple)
- Giant Standing Buddha
- Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge border crossing
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Myawaddy, revision 5228456 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5228456
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Myawaddyမြဝတီမြို့
ဒီလိပ်စာကို ဦးတည်ပါ
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Myawaddy; the US mission is in Yangon. Check your own embassy before crossing.
Carry the name of your hotel and the town you are heading to: the checkpoint asks for both.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/myawaddy). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.