Thailand Myanmar
Thailand 
MyanmarLast reviewed July 2026
Crossing the border
Thailand and Myanmar share a land border you can cross by car. Keep your passport, national driving licence and International Driving Permit together, and check opening hours and any toll or vignette requirements before you travel.
Driving rules in Myanmar
- Drive on the right (despite right-hand-drive cars).
- Horns used frequently.
- 0.05% alcohol limit.
- Carry passport, IDP and home licence.
What to see when you arrive in Myanmar
- the temple plains of Bagan
- the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon
- Inle Lake
- the Golden Rock at Mount Kyaiktiyo
- Mandalay's royal palace
Once you're driving in Myanmar
Destination-specific detail sourced from national road authorities, motoring clubs and rental policies — the things that catch cross-border drivers out.
Driving on a foreign licence
Foreign licences and IDPs are not formally accepted for self-driving; legally a Myanmar licence is required, and tourists are in practice not permitted to drive themselves on most rentals. Car hire is therefore almost always with a local driver, who handles all permits.
Tolls & road charges
Major expressways such as the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway and several trunk roads have manual cash toll gates charging kyat by vehicle class; there is no electronic toll tag system. Your hired driver pays these tolls.
Parking in the cities
In central Yangon paid street parking uses attendants and coupon/ticket systems, with strict no-parking zones and a downtown ban on motorcycles; parking is congested and enforced by towing and clamping. Visitors with a driver rarely deal with this directly.
Fines & camera enforcement
Police enforce speeding, seatbelt and phone-use rules with on-the-spot cash fines; documentation requirements are unpredictable and IDPs may be questioned. Because a driver is hired, fines and camera penalties are typically the operator's responsibility.
If you have an accident
Dial 199 for police and 192 for ambulance. Report any accident to the police and do not move the vehicles after an injury collision; with a hired driver, let them and the rental company manage the report and insurance.
Driving in the capital
Yangon bans motorcycles across much of the city and suffers heavy congestion with right-hand-drive cars on right-hand-side roads (a legacy of the 1970 switch), making overtaking and junctions hazardous for the unfamiliar.
Sources: idaservice.org · internationaltravelpermits.com · oricacars.com · travelauthenticasia.com