IN 2003 Myanmar had more tourist visitors from Thailand than any other country in the world, more than 20,000 according to statistics released this year by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

Myanmar and Thai people share many similarities, including appearance, culture and religion. So what makes them want to come to a place that in many ways is not much different from their own land?

Thailand’s ambassador to Myanmar, Mr Suphot Dhirakaosal, said it is precisely these affinities between the neighbouring nations that convince Thai people to visit Myanmar in great numbers.

“First, Myanmar and Thailand are both Buddhist countries. You have no idea how many Thais want to visit pagodas here. Myanmar people are very strong in Buddhism and so are Thais,” he said.

“We also share a regional history. Thais know something about our common history but want to know more,” he said.

“The other thing the countries share is a common border,” he said.

The marketing manager of Phoenix Travel and Tours Co., Ltd., Daw Khaing Khaing Mar Win Naing, agreed that Thais are mostly interested in religious sites.

“Thai people are keen to go anywhere a famous pagoda exists,” she said.

Her company claims more than 50 per cent of the domestic market share of tours from Thailand.

Most Thai visitors to Yangon make the world-famous Shwedagon Pagoda their first stop, followed by the nearby Ngahtatgyi and Chaukhtatgyi pagodas.

Another popular site is Botataung Pagoda near the Yangon River.

U Tun Wai Oo, a Yangon-based guide who speaks Thai and English and has been leading tourists from Thailand for two years, said elderly Thai people put their hands together to pray as soon as they see pagodas.

“They are like Myanmar people, very religious,” he said.

Upon leaving Yangon, nearly all visitors from Thailand head for Bago – about 80 kilometres away from the capital – because it is a place where the histories of the two nations meet.

During the 16th century the Myanmar King Bayintnaung lived in a palace at what is now Bago with his multiple queens, one of whom was a princess from Thailand. The palace, Kanbawzathadi, has been reconstructed and is complemented by a museum displaying artifacts excavated from the ancient site.

Also in Bago are the Shwemawdaw Pagoda, said to be more than 1000 years old, and the huge Shwethalyaung reclining Buddha, which is 55 metres long and 16 metres high.

“Some tourists want to know the legends behind these religious sites, while others just want to be told historical facts,” U Tun Wai Oo said.

Most Thai tourists who can spare the time also take a two or three day trip to Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda, which many tourists refer to as the Golden Rock. The amazing Buddhist site lies at the top of a 1000-metre-high mountain.

Daw Khaing Khaing Mar Win Naing said many Thai travellers believe that visiting Golden Rock can help make them prosperous.

“Some have told me that if they visit the pagoda three times in a year, it will definitely bring luck. After the third visit, they said it worked!” she said.

“So they visit Myanmar again and again,” she added.

U Tun Wai Oo said many Thai people treasure the pagoda because of their belief that it was built by the Celestial King (thagarmin), the ruler of all angels.

He also said Thai people love to meditate, recalling an experience with two Thai monks he once guided.

“We meditated at the Golden Rock. The feeling was unforgettably peaceful,” he said.

Thai tourists with even more time to spare prefer to visit ancient Bagan, Mandalay (where the last king of Myanmar had his palace), beautiful Inle Lake in southern Shan State and nearby Kakku, a collection of antique pagodas reminiscent of a compact version of Bagan, said U Tun Wai Oo.

With all this interest, some wonder whether investing in promoting tourism to Myanmar among people in Thailand is even necessary.

Mr Suphot is one person who believes that intense marketing would be a waste of resources.

“Thai people love to come to Myanmar!” he said.

The Thai government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand have always been supportive of its people visiting Myanmar, Mr Suphot said.

“We encourage not only our people but also tourists who are in Thailand to go see Myanmar,” he said.

Mr Suphot said plans to promote Thailand and Myanmar as a combined tourist destination will benefit both countries.

However, he advised that if Myanmar wants to welcome large numbers of visitors, its visa application process should be simplified.