Myanmar

Is Myanmar safe to visit?

No. Myanmar has been at civil war since the military seized power in February 2021, and the fighting is getting worse, not better. The US advisoryUS travel advisoryThe US State Department's rating of each country from Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) to Level 4 (do not travel).More in the glossary is Level 4, "do not travel for any reason", and the UK advises against all travel to most of the country. The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) says the military killed at least 8,075 civilians between the coup and May 2026, and open sources suggest the real figure may be close to 15,700. We score Myanmar 37, level with Afghanistan and above Syria at 31, and far below its neighbours Thailand (63) and Laos (62).

The war

The military holds the main cities, while ethnic armed groups and resistance forces control much of the borderlands; OHCHR says the military regained some ground by May 2026 by deploying conscripts and stepping up airstrikes. The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Myanmar 151st of 163, the least peaceful country in Asia-Pacific, and puts its internal conflict at the highest possible intensity. OHCHR, citing open sources, counted at least 2,592 air attacks in its latest reporting year to May 2026, 17% more than the year before, and says internal displacement has reached 3.6 million.

Airstrikes hit villages, markets, monasteries, schools and hospitals. In towns under military control, resistance groups attack checkpoints, police stations and businesses linked to the military, often with small explosives. The US Embassy counted an average of six explosions a month in Yangon during 2025. The military held elections in phases from 28 December 2025, which OHCHR says lacked basic freedom and fairness; they have not ended the fighting.

The UK advises against all travel to Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon and Rakhine states, Sagaing and Magway regions, northern Shan, northern Mandalay Region and much of Bago and Tanintharyi. It advises against all but essential travel to the rest of Mandalay Region, including Bagan, and to southern Shan, including Inle Lake. Yangon and Naypyitaw carry a "heightened risk". The military can close roads and airports without warning, so have a way out that does not depend on your embassy.

Landmines

Myanmar now has more landmine casualties than any other country. The Landmine Monitor recorded 2,029 people killed or injured by mines and explosive remnants in 2024, double the year before, and 86% were civilians. By October 2025, 211 of Myanmar's 330 townships were suspected to be contaminated, in every state and region. Both the military and armed groups lay mines, and few areas are marked. Never leave the main road in rural areas.

Arrest, conscription and the law

The courts offer little protection. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says pre-trial detention can last many months, prison conditions are extremely poor and foreigners have faced criminal investigation for a critical online hotel review. The US warns that foreigners can be detained or deported for criticising the military on social media or in private messages. Photographing protests, flying a drone or getting a tattoo of the Buddha seen as insulting can all lead to arrest. Some areas are under martial law, and breaking a curfew can mean prison.

Since 2024 the military has enforced conscription, and OHCHR says it has deployed more than 125,000 forced conscripts. Myanmar does not recognise dual nationality, so British, American or other dual nationals with Myanmar citizenship may be treated as liable and stopped from leaving.

Scam compounds and crime

Foreigners lured by job offers, often for work in Thailand, have been trafficked into scam centres in Myanmar's border areas, especially around Myawaddy in Kayin State and Tachileik in Shan State. OHCHR documents abduction, forced labour, sexual violence and torture there. Military crackdowns, including on the KK Park complex in October 2025, mostly pushed the operations into remote parts of southern Shan. Treat any well-paid job offer in the region with deep suspicion.

Ordinary crime against visitors is mostly theft: bag snatching, pickpocketing and gem scams. Myanmar is largely a cash economy, so carry what you need out of sight.

Earthquakes, floods and health care

On 28 March 2025 a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck near Mandalay and Sagaing, killing more than 4,000 people and displacing over a million, according to OHCHR. Roads, bridges and hospitals were badly damaged, and the military kept carrying out airstrikes in the affected areas. Floods between May and October 2025 killed about 500 more, and cyclones hit the coast in April to May and October to November.

Health care is limited, medicines are short and malaria, dengue and cholera are present. Anyone who must travel needs insurance that covers medical evacuation, ideally to Bangkok. Call 192 for an ambulance.

How we scored it

Conflict (8) is the weakest factor, followed by health (25) and natural hazards (30). Violent crime (60) scores highest, because ordinary crime against visitors is rare, but data from a country at war are weak. The weighted average is 37. Our cap of conflict plus 35 (43) does not bind, because roads, health and hazards are already poor.