Visa Myanmar

Discussion of ordination, the Vinaya and monastic life. How and where to ordain? Bhikkhuni ordination etc.
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Gabriel
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Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 am

Visa Myanmar

Post by Gabriel »

HI Dhamma brother and sisters!
I am presently stating the preparation for going to Myanmar. I try to understand the forms for Meditation visa. From what I understand, so far, I have to apply for the visa and once it's ready the visa time start. So I can not plan the exact date I want to leave? How can I buy my air plane ticket in those conditions? And how can I advice the monastery/mediation in advance if I don't know when the visa start? I have to buy them at the last minute? it's pretty confusing.
Also, how long can it take to get the visa? In the web site they say ''It can take a lease 1 month''.

And, maybe, I want to go to Thailand first, so, can I apply from there?

Finally, I herd there is a city in Asia where it take only 2-3 days. Any one know about it?

P.S. I am from Montreal, Canada, the nearest embassy in in Ottawa.

Metta, may you all be happy :anjali:
Gabriel
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Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 am

Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Gabriel »

Haha, I am not use to plan trips that way. I usually travel Hitch hiking or buying my tickets last minute, 3-7 days in advance. I just go :) These visa tings are very confusing to me ^^
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Goofaholix
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Goofaholix »

If you want to get a meditation visa then you'll need a sponsorship letter from a meditation centre so you'll need to let them know an approximate date you want to go.

They can probably advise you the current best way to get the visa.

Unless things have changed last time I checked if you are applying from home allow at least 4 months. If you go to Kuala Lumpur and apply there you can get it in a few days, possibly Singapore too. I also heard that you Bangkok is now only a few days also.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
Gabriel
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Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 am

Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Gabriel »

Thank you Goofaholix, That would be nice if I could do it from Bangkok. It would allow me time to visit Thai monastery's as much a I need and than go to Burma when I feel ready.:)
Can some one confirm that info?

metta
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Ben
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Ben »

Hi Gabriel,
When I went to Myanmar a few years ago I got a meditation visa before I left Australia. As Goofaholix said, you will need sponsorship documentation from the meditation centre or monastery. The letter will need to include the start and end dates of your stay in Myanmar as well as a brief intended itinerary.
Kind regards,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
Gabriel
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Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 am

Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Gabriel »

Thank you Ben :) So from your experience and knowledge, if I plan on going to more than one place, do I need a sponsorship letter from all the places or only one will do?
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convivium
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by convivium »

you can find places to practice w/out meditation visa, but for long term and certain places you need to get one. when i was there they weren't called meditation visas. or rather there weren't meditation visas, only certain places that required government sponsorships/approved papers. not sure if there is a visa for more than a month but you can get the month visa in bangkok pretty easily in a week or so.
Just keep breathing in and out like this. Don't be interested in anything else. It doesn't matter even if someone is standing on their head with their ass in the air. Don't pay it any attention. Just stay with the in-breath and the out-breath. Concentrate your awareness on the breath. Just keep doing it. http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Just_Do_It_1_2.php
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Goofaholix
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Goofaholix »

Gabriel wrote:Thank you Goofaholix, That would be nice if I could do it from Bangkok. It would allow me time to visit Thai monastery's as much a I need and than go to Burma when I feel ready.:)
Can some one confirm that info?
This is where I saw that Bangkok could now do it within a few days http://sayadawutejaniya.org/news/ , as I said the centre issuing your sponsorship letter will be able to advise you.

I'm not sure how going around several centres would work as the centre issuing your sponsorship letter has to make promises to the government regarding your behaviour while in Myanmar, they can't keep that promise if you go to another centre, again ask the centre issuing your sponsorship letter.
Pronouns (no self / not self)
“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.”
― Ajahn Chah
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Ben
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Ben »

Gabriel wrote:Thank you Ben :) So from your experience and knowledge, if I plan on going to more than one place, do I need a sponsorship letter from all the places or only one will do?
This is where I think things could get complicated for you. In my experience, I stayed at a meditation centre for a 30 day meditation retreat and I bookended the elements of a pilgrimage at either end. It wasn't problematical for the Dept of Religious Affairs who issued me with the meditation visa.
What I recommend you do is to make contact with my friend, Snow Aye from Compassionate Travel Myanmar. Snow is a co-practitioner and when I met her in Yangon she had set up the charity Compassionate Hands Foundation and was working as a tour guide in Myanmar assisting western practitioners with their travel plans and showing them around Myanmar. I'm sure Snow will be able to assist by providing advice regarding your travel plans.
http://compassionatetravelmyanmar.com
I wish you all the very best.
With metta,
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
Gabriel
Posts: 20
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 am

Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Gabriel »

Wow! thank you Ben and Goofaholix :)
This is hard to stay in the present moment whit all those ''well in advance plantings'' ^^ This is interesting I met a co-practitioner who is also a tour guide in Myanmar and have been whit companionate travel as well, not so long ago. He advised me the same tips. He seem a bit confused about my questions :) maybe you Know him : Kory Goldberg. I will email them to see what they say.
To clarify my intention: I want to visit different monasteries to find one that feel good to ordain. Since a mit stay for a long time in robe, I want to see many.

I thing I will go to Thailand first and make my visa there. At this point I will know much more what I'm looking for, after experiencing Thai forest tradition.

Metta Brother in Dhamma
:anjali:
Chi
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Chi »

Hey!

You can obtain a meditation visa on the same day you apply at the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok. It costs about 65 dollars. If you can wait one or two days, it is cheaper. You need a sponsorship letter, a couple of passport photos, passport, and application. Near the embassy is a copy shop helping people with forms. I obtained my visa this way about 3 months ago.
Do Good, Avoid Evil, Purify the Mind.
Gabriel
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Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 am

Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Gabriel »

Thank you every ones :) It really seems like the best option is to go to Thailand. now I will need to know the same kind of info for this country ^^
metta
pegasus
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Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 6:45 pm

Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by pegasus »

Chi

Looking at the Bangkok Myanmar embassy website, the Visa information pdf states for the meditation visa, you need to have an authorization or approval letter from the Ministry of Affairs (as well as the invitation letter from the prospective meditation centre).

How did you get the approval letter from the Ministry of Affairs?

Thanks for your help.
Chi
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Re: Visa Myanmar

Post by Chi »

You don't need the letter from Ministry of Affairs, only a letter from a meditation center.
Do Good, Avoid Evil, Purify the Mind.
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