Myanmar or Thailand - Which One Should Be Visited First

Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand are two different countries located in Asia (Southeast Asia, or Indochina). The two countries are adjacent and have very long national boundaries (2,416 kilometers or 1,501 miles).

Some Things in Common

Both are located on the Southeast Asia Peninsula.
The inhabitants of both countries believe in Hinayana Buddhism.
Both are deeply influenced by the Khmer culture. Before Thailand became a unified country, most of the regions were dominated by the Khmer Empire for a long time, and the Khmer culture has a great influence in these areas.
In the 11th century, the area that is now the border of Thailand and Myanmar suffered invasion from the Bagan Dynasty (Myanmar) and a large number of artisans were captured to build pagodas. That’s why the architectural style and culture of pagodas were influenced profoundly.
Both share origins as tribes of ancient China.
The most important festival in both countries is the same but the name is different. In Myanmar, it is called Thingyan whereas it is named Songkran in Thailand. They are both celebrated in the middle of April and the celebrations mark the beginning of the new year in both countries.
They have similar tourist attractions (temples, religious culture, and beaches).
The climate for both is a tropical monsoon. There are three different seasons in these two countries: the hot season (March and April), the rainy season (May to October), and the cool season (November to February).

What Our Customers Said

5 STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE BY MONICA

Monica is a very sweet young lady who speaks excellent English via email/WhatsApp, and knows the importance of excellent customer service.

Trent, Jan 2023

2023 Chiang Mai CAD Yipeng Festival

We got early bird ticket and Bella was assisting us through whatsapp. Easy, competitive price, front row tickets. Thanks Bella, for being patient explaining everything to me. Highly recommended.

lily hartati, Dec 2022

Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep

Bella has been an outstanding customer service rep. She was responsive and knowledgeable. Buying tickets from their website was super easy and the whole process was straightforward. Highly recommended.

Khai, Nov 2022

Memorable Experience!!!

I booked tickets to the Chiang Mai Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Nov 2022. Bella was extremely responsive and helpful!!

Bowen, Nov 2022

We had an amazing trip to Thailand

We had an amazing trip to Thailand with Asiahighlights. Every detail was perfectly organised and we always had an instant customer support service in case of any issues.

bugra t, Nov 2022

Great experience!

Bella was very helpful and responsive to all our questions. They handled all the arrangements very professionally and we had a wonderful time! We would definitely recommend and use them again!

Christie, Nov 2022

I contacted to Bella from Asia Highlights

I contacted to Bella from Asia Highlights that to buy tickets to Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai when i was in my country.She helped me very much.You can trust this agency, and i advice Bella as the best!!

Elena, Nov 2022

I had booked Chiang Mai Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival

I had booked Chiang Mai Yi Peng Sky Lantern Festival with Asia Highlight Travel, my travel advisor was Bella Kiu, the experience was great, got my tickets , communication was seamless.

Siskazi Lindeni, Nov 2022

Some Differences

	Myanmar (Burma)	Thailand
Ethnic Groups	Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%, Mon 2%, other 5%	Thai 96%, Burmese 2%, other 1%, unspecified 1% (2010 est.)[Please double-check these figures as they add up to slightly over 100% (100.1).]
Regime	Military-led authoritarian to democracy	Authoritarian democracy to military-led
Economy	Isolates its nation from the global economic system	Adopted Westernization Opened its e
Climate	Tourism is greatly influenced in the rainy season. Many hotels will be closed during the rainy season and flights will be canceled.	Rainy season has little effect
Public Facilities	Road conditions are bad	Streets are well marked and highways connect the main parts of the country. The road conditions are good.
Transportation	Air: Major cities have routes. Most are small planes, which are available for 60–80 persons. Seats are narrow and not very comfortable. Most convenient transportation but always canceled during the rainy season. Bus: Normal buses are cheap but in bad condition while the exclusive VIP buses are expensive but comfortable. Train: slow, old railroad Cruise: mainly on the Irrawaddy River	Air: There are many routes between each city. Seats of some big airlines are comfortable, such as Bangkok Airways. The rainy season has little effect. Bus: There are many kinds of buses for you to choose from. Most of them are cheap and comfortable. Road conditions are good. Train: slow but safe Cruise: many kinds of cruise route
Ways to Travel	Guided tour	Independent
Travel Experience	Tourism is in the initial stages. There are many quiet places and nowhere is particularly full of tourists.	It is a very mature tourist destination. Facilities and services are nice, but the popular places are always overcrowded.

Visit Myanmar with Asia Highlights

We provide tailor-made tours to Myanmar. Tours typically start or end in Yangon or Mandalay and last approximately 9 days; visiting Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake.

9-Day Myanmar Highlights Tour

14-Day Myanmar and Thailand Essence Tour

16-Day Myanmar Tour in Depth

Why Travel with Asia Highlights During the Pandemic

Tailor-made experience: All of your ideas/needs will be carefully considered to create your ideal trip.
Worry-free planning: Your 1:1 travel consultant in Asia will take all the uncertainty out of your planning, helping you navigate any travel restrictions.
No-risk booking: 100% refund policy! (up to 14 days before departure)

Affordable Private Tour