105KAYIN STATESIGHTS & ACTIVITIESSOUTHEASTERN MYANMARSIGHTS & ACTIVITIESSOUTHEASTERN MYANMARHPA-ANEver since Myanmar attained indepen-
dence from the British in 1948, the Karen
have been embroiled in a fi ght for auton-
omy. The struggle continues today, and is
said to be the word’s longest-running in-
ternal confl ict. The main insurgent body,
the Karen National Union (KNU), controls
parts of the northern and eastern parts of
the state, although recent Yangon military
victories have left the KNU and its military
component, the Karen National Liberation
Army (KNLA), severely weakened. In 2010
the KNU aligned with fi ve other insurgent
armies and, as recently as 2011, parts of the
state, particularly those near the Thai bor-
der, still remain a battleground.
Some parts of Kayin State are possible to
visit, though, including Hpa-an, the regional
capital, an easy and highly recommended trip
from Mawlamyine or Yangon. Kayin State it-
self, homeland to around a million Karen,
has probably received more foreign visitors,
who have crossed over – unoffi cially – from
Thailand, than from other parts of Myanmar.
Many international volunteers have ventured
into the frontier area to assist with refugee
concerns.Hpa-an
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Though Hpa-an has only a limited number
of offi cial tourist attractions, the atmosphere
is energetic and the colours on the streets
rich and vibrant. The real draw is in the sur-
rounding countryside, which contains art
galleries housed in caves, sacred mountains
and cloud-scraping islands. In addition to
this, the boat trip between Hpa-an and Maw-
lamyine is a gentle cruise through rural bliss. 1 Sights & Activities
The town of Hpa-an itself is of limited inter-
est. The town’s vibrant Morning Market is
fun to explore and Shweyinhmyaw Pagoda,
down by the waterfront, is a good place from
which to watch the world sail on by. Some
might also describe the central Clock TowerTHAILAND BORDER CROSSING: MAE SOTMae Sot is – at least when things are calm – a legal border crossing to Myanmar. Yet as
with all of Myanmar’s land crossings, the situation is volatile and, on our visit, the border
was fi rmly shut due to fi ghting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and splinter groups
of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). Even when the border eventually does
reopen, it’s possible to cross only from Thailand to Myanmar, and like other land crossing
points, visits are restricted to a limited number of days within a limited area, you have to
leave your passport at the border and you’re expected return the same way you came in.
If things change by the time you read this, immigration procedures are taken care of at
the Thai immigration booth (%Thailand 0 5556 3000; h6.30am-6.30pm) at the Friend-
ship Bridge. It takes a few minutes to fi nish all the paperwork to leave Thailand offi cially,
and then you’re free to walk across the arched 420m Friendship Bridge.
At the other end of the bridge is the Myanmar immigration booth, where you’ll fi ll
out permits for a one-day stay, pay a fee of US$10 or 500B and leave your passport as a
deposit. Then you’re free to wander around Myawadi, as long as you’re back at the bridge
by 5.30pm Myanmar time (which is half an hour behind Thai time) to pick up your pass-
port and check out with immigration. On your return to Thailand, the Thai immigration
offi ce at the bridge will give you a new 15-day visa.
Myawadi is a fairly typical Burmese town, with a number of monasteries, schools,
shops and so on. The most important temple is Shwe Muay Wan, a traditional bell-
shaped paya gilded with many kilos of gold and topped by more than 1600 precious
and semiprecious gems. Another noted Buddhist temple is Myikyaungon, named for
its crocodile-shaped sanctuary. A hollow pagoda at Myikyaungon contains four marble
Mandalay-style buddhas around a central pillar, while niches in the surrounding wall are
fi lled with buddhas in other styles, including several bronze Sukhothai-style buddhas.
Myawadi’s thousand-year-old earthen city walls, probably erected by the area’s original
Mon inhabitants, can be seen along the southern side of town.
For further information, head to shop.lonelyplanet.com to purchase a downloadable
PDF of the Northern Thailand chapter from Lonely Planet’s Thailand guide.