Myanmar to start providing visas on arrival to South-East Asians

Naypyitaw - Myanmar will offer visas-on-arrival for touristsand business people from South-East Asian nations starting on June 1,officials said Sunday.

Myanmar has been under nominal civilian rule since March, 2011,during which time President Thein Sein has initiated a raft of reforms that have led to eased sanctions on the former pariah stateand a groundswell of tourist and business interest in the country.

Initially the visas will only be provided to nationals from member countries of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), but gradually the service will be extended to other countries, Immigration Minister Khin Yi told dpa.

"New counters for the visas-on-arrival will be opened at international airports," Khin Yi said. "We have started to prepare for this." Myanmar briefly offered tourists visas-on-arrival in early 2010, but terminated the service a few months before the general election held that year on November 7.

Myanmar was under military rule between 1962 to 2010.//DPA