All Airlines Flying to/from Myanmar (Burma) - International Routes

Here are the 25 airlines that fly to Myanmar (Burma) and their air routes. These airlines fly directly on regularly scheduled flights to the Burmese cities of Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon from Hong Kong and 12 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Korea, India, Japan, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Don't be fooled by airlines, flight booking sites and aggregators that promise "flights" between Penang and Mandalay, or Chennai and Yangon. When you see what should be a three-hour hop taking 10 hours, you'll eventually figure out Thai Airways "connects" in Bangkok for eight hours between Chennai and Yangon. Similarly, don't be fooled by the ads: A Bangkok Airways flight from Mandalay or Yangon must stop in Bangkok before flying to Samui.

Updated! 6 September 2018.

These directly flying airlines don't all fly daily to Myanmar. The routes with numerous daily flights are, in order, between Yangon-Bangkok; Yangon-Singapore; and Yangon-Kuala Lumpur. 

Remember: depending on the airline, flights from Myanmar to Bangkok can land at one of two Bangkok airports*. Thai AirAsia/AirAsiaGo, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air all use the old airport, Don Mueang (Airport code: DMK), which now is using two terminals; Terminal 1 is the international one.

Newish budget carrier and Thai Airways' subsidiary Thai Smile (with perhaps the dumbest ground personnel ever) is using Suvarnabhumi for its flights between Bangkok and Mandalay but has switched several of its domestic flights to Don Mueang. Bangkok Airways, Myanmar Airways International (MAI), state carrier Myanmar National Airlines (MNA), and Thai Airways always use newer Suvarnabhumi Airport (airport code: BKK). Budget carrier Golden Myanmar Airways has used Suvarnabhumi in the past, so I'm guessing that if it starts direct flights between Yangon and Bangkok again, it will do so as well. Despite chatter, as of 2018 it's sticking to domestic routes.

Regarding daily flights, there is at least one daily flight, at different times, between the Chinese cities of Guangzhou and Kunming, Yunnan, by either MAI or China Southern Airlines. There is at least one daily flight between Seoul and Yangon as well. 

For the other cities listed below, you need to plan ahead.

Myanmar Money - Use Kyat or US Dollars?

100-kyat note

When to use kyat and US dollars. Exchanging money, ATMs and credit cards in Myanmar (Burma). US dollars $ and kyat (MMK) are both legal currency but dollars cannot be used as widely as in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. 


Updated 20 July 2017  

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Myanmar money for tourists new to the country formerly known as Burma.

Should I exchange money at a bank?

Yes, if a bank is open. Or a legal exchange shop.

Once upon a time, maybe four years ago, I had never exchanged dollars or baht for kyat at a Burmese bank because the official exchange rate was many, many times less than the (easily obtained) street rate. Something momentous happened with little fanfare.

The bank rate now is considered good enough--and certainly better than you will get in your hotel. 

So when do I use dollars?

Hotels and guesthouses everywhere state their room rates in dollars. The more upscale hotels prefer dollars, but just about all now will take kyat (at about 1,370 kyat to the dollar as of 2017) or a combination of dollars and kyat. Staff will calculate the kyt amount based on the day's rate, now easily accessible with the proliferation of the internet and smartphones. If the dollars are less than pristine, Myanmar staff will probably prefer kyat. To pay for a flight in cash at a travel agency or airline office, though, you'll need dollars. 

The recipient will give you change in dollars or part dollars/part kyat. Some museums and temples require foreigners to pay in dollars, so keep singles on hand. Supposedly, some sites state the fee in dollars or euros, but I have only encountered it at one place: entering the Inle Lake area by road, foreigners could pay either $10 or 10 euros. Keep that receipt, which is valid for your entire stay there.