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).

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Bangkok and Chiang Mai

In Bangkok, our guide Ann and driver "Mr. Ot" (I don't know how to spell his name) were very friendly and professional. You simply can't underestimate the value of having an English speaking guide to show you around, and a driver with a comfortable, sizeable, air-conditioned van take you from place to place. Ann taught us so much about Thailand's history, food, and religion. Mr. Ot always opened our door with a smile, and had cool towels and ice-cold bottled water for us.

, Apr 2024

Very great experience our driver D was…

Very great experience our driver D was never late and always had waters and a cold towel for us and our tour guide Som was very informative and had amazing English I recommend them both highly for anyone else traveling

Rylan Coache, Feb 2024

Excellent guide in Siem Reap

Our recent time spent in Siem Reap was made even more memorable by our expert guide, Som Piseth. Som was knowledgeable, attentive, flexible and super helpful - we learnt so much about Siem Reap and Cambodia in our 3 days with him. His English was excellent and his knowledge of, and pride in, his country was outstanding. We would highly recommend Som for anyone wanting an excellent guide in Siem Reap!

Sharon Townshend, Feb 2024

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.

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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.