The picturesque route from India to Thailand through Myanmar is worth the struggle of driving or riding for days after days!
If you are someone who is too much into road trips and have always dreamt of visiting Thailand by road from India, you have accessed the correct page on your browser. Before beginning to write this piece, we simply opened the Google Maps application on a smart phone and tried to find the optimal route between the two countries. We selected Kolkata, India as our starting point and Thailand as our destination and guess what? Within seconds, Google Maps gave us the best road route from India to Thailand. As per Google Maps, the distance from Kolkata, India to Thailand is 3,211 kilometres.
Required documents- First and foremost, one should carry a legitimate passport (not expired or in renewal process) along with photographs of the dimensions 35mm x 45mm. The photographs should not be older than three months and the backdrop of the shot should be white. Visa for Indians is presented on arrival in Thailand. Not to forget, a copy of the credit card and six months of credit card statement is demanded. A traveller must have an amount of INR 20,000 or more in his or her account. Moving on to the vehicle, one requires to have a valid licence, pollution certificate, registration papers and vehicle insurance papers.
Route- No matter from which part of the country one is travelling; everybody needs to reach Siliguri. From Siliguri, one needs to reach the Indian border town of Moreh (Manipur) via Guwahati (Assam), Kohima (Nagaland), and Imphal (Manipur). Crossing the border will take a crew to Myanmar’s Tamu.
From Tamu, one needs to reach Kale and from Kale to Myawaddy which is Myanmar’s border town. One needs to cross Myawaddy to reach Mae Sot which is the border township of Thailand.
Tips- It is crucial to cram one’s vehicle with plethora of food, water, petrol and spare parts. Under any circumstances, do not get into a scuffle with local people or authorities. Carrying a map (not just Google Maps) is highly important and if there is any trouble, one should head to the Indian Embassy immediately. Taking rest is equally relevant and therefore, one should not drive more than 14 hours a day. Last but not least, research about the two countries’ political scenarios and do not go on the trip if there are riots or other types of unrest taking place in the countries.
*Note that Thailand is a peaceful nation. However, Myanmar has had too many political chaos in the recent times.
