Traveling through Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia in 2026

I haven't heard of any concerns about travel to these countries. Are you going independently? Or with a group tour?

In general, I think social media overstates all concerns about danger for tourists. Which is not to say there aren't places where there is danger, but social media is the wrong place to learn about them. Try the state department (https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories.html, although they also overstate dangers in my opinion).

EDIT: Sorry, I misread your list of nations. Myanmar is probably a no-go for US passport holders.

Myanmar is somehwere I am very keen to visit, but unfortunately it's not very safe right now. You can see the FCDO (UK government) advice here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/myanmar

Thailand and Cambodia are both very safe to visit, as are Laos and Vietnam.

Myanmar has a Level 4 advisory ( meaning “Do not travel to this country”) from the U.S. State Department as well.
The country is essentially in a state of civil war.

I haven't heard of any concerns about travel to these countries.

Seriously?

One is a Level 4 and two are at war (more or less) with each other.
https://asia.nikkei.com/politics/international-relations/thailand-cambodia-conflict/thai-military-digs-in-along-cambodian-border-as-peace-remains-elusive Its behind a paywall, but you can see the headline and look for more if you are interested.

If you are into adventure travel, you can come to Ukraine with me. Possibly less dangerous than Myanmar.

But in all seriousness, eliminate Myanmar and then research if you will have any problem with a Cambodian stamp in your passport when you cross into Thailand and vice versa. Probably not, but worth checking. Every once in a while some one messes up in Kosovo. Then how do you get from one to the other. Its a border war, so the bus might not be a good idea.

Thank you for the feedback.

But in all seriousness, eliminate Myanmar and then research if you will have any problem with a Cambodian stamp in your passport when you cross into Thailand and vice versa.

Interesting are the Thai immigration harassing tourists who came from Cambodia to Thailand? Maybe Thailand should be first before going to Cambodia?

The situation seems sad and absurd. Yes I have waited a long time to see Myanmar also.

You may be able to go to Myanmar but as it is under martial law, your ability to move around will be limited and potentially dangerous. I went just days after Obama had visited in 2012 and it was a wonderful travel experience- not easy but wondrous. I wouldn't go ATM and insurance would be very challenging. People will be very cautious about interacting with travellers. Have you considered Laos? It's easy to fly to Udon Thani from Bangkok and then get a bus across the border to Vientiane. Then fly to Siem Reap from Luang Prabang. Overland to Phnom Penh and also to Saigon if you want to fly out from VN.

I have considered Laos but I did see it years ago along with Vietnam, maybe time for another visit.

Your experience in Myanmar, I am jealous sounds wonderful.

Interesting are the Thai immigration harassing tourists who came from
Cambodia to Thailand? Maybe Thailand should be first before going to
Cambodia?

No idea, its a question you should answer

I took a two-week-long river cruise on the Irrawaddy with Pandaw; quite the experience. I do notice that they are still running their ships in Burma...so maybe travel is. not out of the question (??)

Edit: I looked again at the Pandaw site and it's not certain that they are running the river cruises...

I believe land border crossings between Thailand and Cambodia are closed, and it's best to avoid areas close to the border. Even though a cease-fire is in effect, you can't know what to expect.

Direct flights between the countries are operating normally as far as I can tell from doing flight searches.

The big tour companies such as OAT, Gate 1 and Road Scholar are all offering trips that include Thailand and Cambodia, and they are unlikely to offer these trips if there were safety issues. They all fly between countries rather than crossing at land borders.

Myanmar, on the other hand, has become unsafe and difficult for travel. As far as I know, no American tour companies travel there now. I was lucky enough to travel there on an OAT tour in 2017 and it was an amazing place. This was during a brief period of “democracy “ between military dictatorships when the country was open to tourists. It makes me sad for the lovely people we met. But I would not travel there now.

I am in Myanmar at the moment (Yangon) and have had a lovely time. This is my second trip, the first having been 2015.and we're planning another trip next year, perhaps heading to Mandalay as well. I haven't had any cause for concern, but there are areas of the country you can't visit.

I did take quite some time deciding on this trip, and spoke to people here to understand the security situation before arriving. I was however keen to do the trip, which has been about exploring my family history here.

The UK travel advice Cat VH refers to classifies Yangon area as ok, and I did decide not to leave Yangon and surrounds (just a short train trip out of the centre into the immediate countryside). If you come, you will very much enjoy yourself. But you do need to think very carefully about insurance. I arranged an evacuation membership with Global Rescue prior to travel, covering Myanmar. I am not suggesting you disregard your government's travel advice, just giving you my perspective from this trip - the decision of course is yours.

Thailand and Cambodia, no concerns at all. They are huge tourist destinations. Coming from Singapore Thailand our closest beach holiday, and we regularly go north to Chiang Mai as well, where I used to live. Cambodia, our kids have been there on school camps. You don't need a tour - they are very easily done independently.

Myanmar doesn’t sound that bad /s: “LEVEL 4: Do not travel to Burma for any reason due to armed conflict, unrest, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, poor health infrastructure, landmines and unexploded ordnance, and crime.” Do not is different than you are not allowed; in other words a US citizen is not breaking any laws by going. Besides if the UK says its hunky-dory, then it’s probably fine. https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/burma.html I bet most of the population speaks English and can help you if something off color were to happen.

Do check with your medical insurance as there is a very good chance that it won’t cover whatever happens to you there. Finding a travel policy that will cover you might be difficult. If you do get hurt and manage to get back to the U.S. there is a good chance that your US insurance company will treat it like a pre-existing condition and not cover it for a period of time. If you get stuck in jail there, this not being an election year, the State Department may not want to make any excessive effort to free you. I am not sure that MedJet will cover you either. But really don’t know about that.

You are probably thinking I am discouraging it. No, not at all, that would make me a hypocrite, but I did my homework and not on a RS forum where the answers at times are well intentioned but not complete (and I am no exception to that).

My S.O. is Thai and my S.O. just happens to be in Thailand this week. Thailand is a LEVEL1 except at the Cambodian border where it is a Level 2. Even that’s not bad as it only puts it up there with Germany.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/thailand-travel-advisory.html I have never been, but I know just enough to encourage you to do some homework because according to my S.O. there are all sorts of ways you can get into trouble if you haven’t done your homework.

I have a friend from Cambodia, sounds like a lovely place to visit. The State Department says “LEVEL 2, Exercise increased caution in Cambodia due to crime and landmines. Some areas have increased risks. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do not travel to areas along Cambodian and Thai border due to armed conflict.” Not terrible.

On all three countries please do read the advisories yourself and don’t rely on the forum. With the insurance issue, again do the legwork.

I think that's all very sane advice. But I do disagree that most of the Burmese population speaks English....

I've been fortunate enough to visit that country three times, it's the first being in the early 1980s when we were allowed only a 7-day stay. We followed all the advice in the "yellow bible," the Lonely Planet guide to SE Asia. Preparation for the visit included getting the visa in Bangkok, and buying one carton of 555 cigarettes and one bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label.

Arriving in Rangoon, we (like most western travelers at that time) exchanged the whisky and the cigs at customs,, where the official handed us a wad of kyat--enough to travel around the country for the allowed 7-days.. We stayed at the Strand in Rangoon, which by then had fallen on (very) hard times..dilapidated to the extreme. Then flew up to Pagan where the transport between the temples was by rickety horse carts....

Thanks for letting me ramble.....I've done a lot of traveling since then but those first, months-long trips to SE Asia remain among my most vivid travel memories...I am grateful that I was able to see some of that region before the onset of mass tourism..the days when Koh Samui was a tiny island accessible only by long and uncomfortable night ferry from Surat Thani...and the only accommodations were little "bungalows' on the beaches....for $5USD per night you got quite a bit of luxury....

I think that's all very sane advice. But I do disagree that most of the Burmese population speaks English....

Sorry, that was sarcasim.

"We stayed at the Strand in Rangoon, which by then had fallen on (very) hard times"

I'm at the Strand now, and it's been beautifully renovated.