AN official from the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied rumours last week that Myanmar had placed restrictions on issuing visas to visit the country for tourism, business or social purposes.

“There are no restrictions or special instructions for the issuance of visas,” the official told The Myanmar Times. “Tourist and business visas are being issued as usual at Myanmar embassies and consulates all over the world.”

“Tourists and businessmen can enter and leave Myanmar as usual,” he added.

An official at the South Korean embassy in Yangon said rumours that Myanmar had stopped issuing tourist visas were false.

“Many South Koreans are eager to visit Myanmar during the high tourist season. Many applicants have been granted visas at the Myanmar embassy in Seoul and they will be visiting the country soon,” he said.

Ma Aye Nyein Chen, the sales and marketing manager at Orchestra Travel, said she had heard that the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok had resumed issuing visas on October 5 after it had briefly stopped giving them to travellers from Europe who travelled to Thailand to apply, while Thai tourists had been able to get visas as usual.

However, U Oliver E Soe Thet, the general manager of Bagan Hotel River View, said none of the embassies, including the one in Bangkok, had stopped issuing visas.

“I got clear information from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism that travel to Myanmar was never stopped and anyone with a visa can enter the country,” he said.