Visa Run

A visa run to Burma is popular for Thai tourists. A few hours on the bus, a quick boat ride, a crisp American 10 dollar bill, and you're over and back the border like it was as easy as crossing the street. Easy, if you can ignore that you have this priviledge of jumping back and forth, while you watch the security screens showing people handcuffed laying on the floor, and truckloads of illegal burmese refugees caught at the border.

Of the 10 dollars you give to cross into Burma, only to return into Thailand, 4 goes directly to the military.

Not that I'm necessarily recommending a stay in Burma. It's hard to stay in Burma without supporting the military government. The hotels are government owned, the tourists attractions, the transport. And it's a terrible thing to support. These toursits attractions were built by forced slave labour... people picked out of their homes and forced to work for no pay, building nice roads and tourist attractions so other people can live comfortably in their country. There are many websites that talk of boycotting travelling to Burma altogether. I have a Burmese friend here who suggested that travelling to Burma is important - to talk with the people, and help to spread an education to the world about what is happening in their country. But responsible travel to Burma would be essential. I refuse to give a single dollar to the military.

James, a Burmese friend who works in a shop along the main road here, and who I sit out with chatting most evenings, often talks with me about his country. He always has his burmese/english dictionary with him (his english is really strong - much stronger than my burmese!) and the first thing he learned how to say in english that he wrote in the front cover of the book is:
"I really hate the military control in my country."