Detained in Myanmar: Chiang Rai retiree claims he was arrested after driving his car over the border

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Detained in Myanmar: Chiang Rai retiree claims he was arrested after driving his car over the border

 

Makoto Iwasaki, 53, detained in second floor room of this building

 

A Japanese man who is retired and living in Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand has contacted Thaivisa to say that he is under arrest in Myanmar after he drove his car into the country.

 

The authorities there claim his paperwork is not in order. Makoto Iwasaki,53, disagrees.

 

Makoto has experience about crossing land borders around the world - he has made several trips around the globe using his own transport. 

 

He said he was being detained on the second floor of a police station in the town of Bokpyin 900 kms from Myawaddy where he crossed into Myanmar several days ago. 

 

The courthouse in Bokpyin, Myanmar where the case will be heard Friday

 

He said that conditions are better for him than the locals - he has a room and is allowed access to the internet and some freedom of movement

 

He is due to appear in court tomorrow. 

 

He said: 

 

I drove my Thai registered car to Myawaddy and to Bokpyin about 900 km.

 

"Bokpyin police arrested me at the market of Bokpyin town.  Police say my Thai car needs to get temporary license at Myawaddy, but I did not not obtain that. 

Police say it is a violation of section 5 and 8 of the Export Import Law.

"I think this arrest is not reasonable.  No officer at Myawaddy border checkpoint told me about the necessity of getting any special permit.

I passed many strict checkpoints until I arrived here. I was allowed to pass through (them all). 

 

"No one can specify the name of the Law and Article number as legal basis (for my arrest).

"Today, I obtained a copy of the Indictment at Bokpyin Court.  Without my written request, no copy would have been issued to the accused.

"They would not provide any language interpreter in the court tomorrow. So I would just request Japanese interpreter (to protect) my human rights tomorrow.
 

If you have experience crossing the border with Myanmar, Tachilek, Myawaddy, Htee Khee, everybody notices there are no vehicle controls by any Myanmar authority or customs.

 

"So my case is (nothing more than) an arbitrary arrest."

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-10

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[sammieuk1]

If anyone smells foreigner money making opportunities pop up either side of the border by the look of it????  

[sanmyintmaung]

3 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

If anyone smells foreigner money making opportunities pop up either side of the border by the look of it????  

I am more surprised he can drive 900 KM into Myanmar from the nearest border town without anyone detected. If he read Thai Visa, he will know only vehicles in group tours are given permit to enter Myanmar.

[sceadugenga]

Maybe another GPS failure?

[garni]

I for myself drive 4 times with my car to Burma. 6pm I must go back to Thailand. I can enter again 9am. This was the rules till 3 years ago. 

[RichardColeman]

5 hours ago, sceadugenga said:

Maybe another GPS failure?

Or local charity police amending the GPS 'natural' barriers

[NCC1701A]

sounds serious. lets hope he gets out OK. 

 

anyone here willing to go meet with him if they don't release him after his court date?

 

[Chazar]

12 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

sounds serious. lets hope he gets out OK. 

 

anyone here willing to go meet with him if they don't release him after his court date?

 

Wife already helped  one Japanese  man  after being imprisoned here due to agents running off with money for  work permits and visas, he was held  for over  2  weeks and finally deported, result, he closed his Thai company the 10 Thai   staff lost their  jobs and the big  boss in Japan relocated the whole lot to the Phillipines........... immigration can be very VERY  stupid

[sanmyintmaung]

1 hour ago, garni said:

I for myself drive 4 times with my car to Burma. 6pm I must go back to Thailand. I can enter again 9am. This was the rules till 3 years ago. 

Normally, Thai registered cars without permit are limited only to vicinity of border towns in Myanmar. The problem is OP drove 900 KM in land from the nearest border town.

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, garni said:

I for myself drive 4 times with my car to Burma. 6pm I must go back to Thailand. I can enter again 9am. This was the rules till 3 years ago. 

How were the rules changed three years ago?

 

What are the rules today?

[CNXexpat]

4 hours ago, sanmyintmaung said:

Thai registered cars without permit are limited only to vicinity of border towns in Myanmar.

My idea is to make this tour in October from Chiang Mai with my own in Thailand registered car. Which permits do I need? 

[LukKrueng]

13 hours ago, Chazar said:

Wife already helped  one Japanese  man  after being imprisoned here due to agents running off with money for  work permits and visas, he was held  for over  2  weeks and finally deported, result, he closed his Thai company the 10 Thai   staff lost their  jobs and the big  boss in Japan relocated the whole lot to the Phillipines........... immigration can be very VERY  stupid

The op is about Myanmar (Burma), not Thailand, the guy was arrested by police and not by immigration and is not accuses of anything related to visa

 

[bluejets]

20 hours ago, sanmyintmaung said:

I am more surprised he can drive 900 KM into Myanmar from the nearest border town without anyone detected. If he read Thai Visa, he will know only vehicles in group tours are given permit to enter Myanmar.

Read what it actually says.....

He said he was being detained on the second floor of a police station in the town of Bokpyin 900 kms from Myawaddy where he crossed into Myanmar

[Chazar]

1 hour ago, LukKrueng said:

The op is about Myanmar (Burma), not Thailand, the guy was arrested by police and not by immigration and is not accuses of anything related to visa

 

Yet I was  replying  to the "anyone want to help"  part as he was Japanese and  Wife speeeeeks  sum................ which you completely overlooked

[LukKrueng]

38 minutes ago, Chazar said:

Yet I was  replying  to the "anyone want to help"  part as he was Japanese and  Wife speeeeeks  sum................ which you completely overlooked

I didn't overlook. It just seems irrelevant because you're in Thailand and this guy is held in Myanmar and the "unreasonable immigration" part had nothing to do with this story

[sanmyintmaung]

6 hours ago, bluejets said:

Read what it actually says.....

He said he was being detained on the second floor of a police station in the town of Bokpyin 900 kms from Myawaddy where he crossed into Myanmar

Town of Bokpyin is 900 km away from the nearest border crossing called Myawaddy. How he drove this far without being noticed at many police checkpoints along the way is a mystery to me.

[sanmyintmaung]

16 hours ago, CNXexpat said:

My idea is to make this tour in October from Chiang Mai with my own in Thailand registered car. Which permits do I need? 

You will need Myanmar Overland Permit. You need to go through a travel agency for this permit and need to have a license guide along the trip in the car.

 

[CNXexpat]

4 minutes ago, sanmyintmaung said:

You will need Myanmar Overland Permit. You need to go through a travel agency for this permit and need to have a license guide along the trip in the car.

 

Oh, and I have to pay for the guide, his food and accommodation I guess. That´s for sure not what I want. Then I will travel to another country. What a pity.  

[FritsSikkink]

"Police say it is a violation of section 5 and 8 of the Export Import Law."

and then:

"No one can specify the name of the Law and Article number as legal basis (for my arrest).

He is making no sense at all.

 

"Makoto has experience about crossing land borders around the world - he has made several trips around the globe using his own transport."

 

Should have known better then. 

[NanLaew]

On 1/11/2020 at 2:36 PM, CNXexpat said:

On 1/11/2020 at 2:29 PM, sanmyintmaung said:

You will need Myanmar Overland Permit. You need to go through a travel agency for this permit and need to have a license guide along the trip in the car.

 

Oh, and I have to pay for the guide, his food and accommodation I guess. That´s for sure not what I want. Then I will travel to another country. What a pity. 

I was working in Myanmar and wanted to bring in my own pickup. I was advised all of the above requirements plus I needed to post a refundable, temporary vehicle import bond. The cost of the local guide and his board and lodging was nothing compared to the bond so I wrote off that plan.

 

Anyway, the way they drive in Myanmar, I wouldn't call that any sort of relaxing vacation and you better have really good accident and personal injury insurance too that includes medical evacuation. Outside of Yangon, the hospitals are a bit wanting... when you can find them.

 

On 1/11/2020 at 1:54 PM, sanmyintmaung said:

Town of Bokpyin is 900 km away from the nearest border crossing called Myawaddy. How he drove this far without being noticed at many police checkpoints along the way is a mystery to me.

The assumption would have been that it must have been checked and allowed in at the border by any subsequent 'police' checks. In my couple of years working there, I never saw any police checkpoints, just municipal toll booths with guys in uniform where you paid a 'road tax' and were allowed on your way. They weren't the police.

 

I had worked there for about four months and freely traveled around the countryside north of Bago doing my job before one of the rural communities chose to report they saw a foreigner wandering about. Then the local army people showed up requesting that all foreigners working in the area be registered and their arrival, departure or ongoing presence in the area reconfirmed weekly.

 

And some whine on here about 90-day reports?

Edited January 12, 2020 by NanLaew

[overherebc]

On 1/10/2020 at 4:55 PM, Chazar said:

Wife already helped  one Japanese  man  after being imprisoned here due to agents running off with money for  work permits and visas, he was held  for over  2  weeks and finally deported, result, he closed his Thai company the 10 Thai   staff lost their  jobs and the big  boss in Japan relocated the whole lot to the Phillipines........... immigration can be very VERY  stupid

Yes but they made a lot of face and maybe a big poster. Can't get better than that.