mingalaba

And the person that wrote this "guide" has been in Thailand?

Atms of Kanbawza Bank: Visa Card, CB Bank: Visa, Master, Maestro, Unionpay, Cirrus, Myanmar Oriental Bank: Visa.

Have used the ATMs of any bank a few times and generally no problems.

Foreigners are not allowed to marry a Myanmar woman however you can do a religious wedding ie at a church. They will issue a marriage certificate that is accepted by the Myanmar embassies around the world. You then can apply for a Social Visa for Myanmar that allows you to stay within the country for a long time as its expendable. If the embassy of your home country accepts it is questionable.

Well the thing is that I have to take the money into Myanmar. The only way to wire money into a Myanmar bank account is by bank transfer from Kasikorn Bank and a few other banks in Malaysia and Singapore. I don´t have a bank account in Thailand so I will have to take the money in cash.

I agree isawasnake, chances of any custom official taking notice of my money are very slim. As I said I will be carrying 500 Euro bills so it´s actually just a small stack. Anyways I will declare the money both in Germany (which should be more difficult) and also in Thailand. I will bring a copy of my recent bank transactions so I can prove the money is coming from my bank account. That and my onward flight ticket to Myanmar should be enough to convince them.

I was just trying to get some first hand info of people who have previously declared cash in Thailand and what the process was like.

Any amount up to equivalent of USD $20,000 can be undeclared. I would never carry that much cash and I do carry a lot.

I don´t have a choice so I will have to put up with the hassles of carrying lots of cash with me.

I will bring a large amount of Cash with me when visiting Bangkok for a day. Only going to stay for one night and change from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang. According to Thai custom regulations I will have to declare the money I am taking with me both on arrival and on departure. Does anybody have experiences with this? Is it even reasonable to declare my money? I am going to bring my money in 500 Euro bills so it doesn´t even look like a big amount of money on first sight. Are the officials going to ask me questions where the money comes from and how it is used?

Does anybody have practical info on the new Direct Investment Law? Maybe somebody planning to make use of it?

I place cheap women & accommodation, good weather and no taxes as overwhelming advantages.

(In fact any two of those four would do it for me)

I reserve the right to complain about the minor negative stuff.

You praise the fact that taxes are low, yet you complain about bad government schools and bad police. You do realise that the schools in your home country are only of good quality because there is a lot of tax money that can be spent? As I said puzzling...

I haven't seen many people who live here 'hating everything'.

Can you list these forum members by name, or are you just wildly exaggerating?

Most men love the cheap women and warm weather ...... does anyone need any other 'likes' to be here?

I am exaggerating. Still the majority of threads is full of criticism, very little praise. Gives a clear picture of people who are unhappy about the country they are living in. Seems like people want the advantages of living in a country without being able to deal with its drawbacks. Maybe people on here are just whiny but it seems quite weird that people move to another country just to then complain that things aren´t the same as back home.

"Is Malaysia better than Thailand

You forgot Example Five, the biggy:

Thailand is mostly Buddhist

Malaysia is mostly Muslim

and there, I'm afraid, the discussion ends and Malaysia loses.

One interesting experiment might be to go to the Malaysian/Thai border, and see which way the (local) tourists travel. I think I know what the answer will be.

That is it in a nutshell

As a female I won't even enter an Islamic country. Women are considered lower than street dogs

You must have NOT been to different Islamic countries than the ones I've been to.

I suppose, on the bright side, the Islamic countries have one less bigot, though it has been said that travel broadens the mind. THough I've never conversed with a bigot who thought their mind needed broadening

SC

Agree... She has never been to a country in which Islam is the major religion BUT knows for sure that woman are worth less then street dogs in them mean islamic terrorist countries

Thanks for your condescending post.

Please read again and show me where I ignore advice or dismiss experiences of others that regard my initial question.

BTW that was my OP:

"Does anybody have experiences how Myanmar people, or maybe SE Asians in general adapt to life in a western country?

It was not about marriages in Myanmar or stuff like "everybody in myanmar wants to go to a foreign country ASAP".

So please, show me where I dismiss posts that were actually related to my question,

You really do seem to have misguidedly convinced yourself that you're some kind of elderly lothario,haven't you?I laugh when I see guys like you that couldn't get a second look back at home but think they're Brad Pitt once they land in Thailand,it really is pathetic!

No fool like an old fool!

You don't get it. There's an old saying "It ain't bragging if you can do it." Not saying that the person you're talking to is bragging, but that is why older guys are in LOS and it does work. There are pretty gals in rural areas who simply don't know anything, and some time with a farang who takes an interest in them can change their whole perspective.

Does he get sex? I don't know but probably. Does she like him? Probably, because he's nice to her. Does she come away with a better life in front of her for knowing so much more about how things really work? I certainly believe so. Is it charity? No. Is it a transaction? Maybe. Probably in a way. Is it "win win?" I think so. Is it hurting you any? No.

Ehh... This guy has kind of an "school" in which he offers education for sex. Not your average sexpat.

Giving courses to improve other people´s life and have sex with them in return. What kind of an ill concept is that?

If this guy ever ends up in a Thai prison he has well deserved it.

You're reading between the lines that which isn't there. Try again.

Unfortunately not. He explained everything in detail in another topic on TV

You really do seem to have misguidedly convinced yourself that you're some kind of elderly lothario,haven't you?I laugh when I see guys like you that couldn't get a second look back at home but think they're Brad Pitt once they land in Thailand,it really is pathetic!

No fool like an old fool!

You don't get it. There's an old saying "It ain't bragging if you can do it." Not saying that the person you're talking to is bragging, but that is why older guys are in LOS and it does work. There are pretty gals in rural areas who simply don't know anything, and some time with a farang who takes an interest in them can change their whole perspective.

Does he get sex? I don't know but probably. Does she like him? Probably, because he's nice to her. Does she come away with a better life in front of her for knowing so much more about how things really work? I certainly believe so. Is it charity? No. Is it a transaction? Maybe. Probably in a way. Is it "win win?" I think so. Is it hurting you any? No.

Ehh... This guy has kind of an "school" in which he offers education for sex. Not your average sexpat.

Giving courses to improve other people´s life and have sex with them in return. What kind of an ill concept is that?

If this guy ever ends up in a Thai prison he has well deserved it.

Myanmese=Burmese all the same.

I am a Myanmese myself but now converted to another citizen. You'r the arrogant to think nobody want to stay in another country where everything is better then in their own country. In another country, you can work as a professional and can own your own car, house,etc. Ask yourself,even Thai girls, why they want to marry farang? Thailand is far better then Myanmar.

Probably you don't see many in Europe but you can find plenty in english speaking countries.

You should be ashamed of yourself to have such a condescending attitute towards your own country. Its simply stupid to think that everybody in Myanmar wants to live in Europe or the US. The majority of Myanmar people who work oversees are unhappy and want to return quickly after they have earned some money. Apparently not everything is that great outside Myanmar. How incredibly naive to think that "everything is better outside Myanmar".

The real situation for most Myanmar people working abroad is very depressing. Most work in low-income jobs (ie maids, cleaning woman, etc) or even as prostitutes. Do you think that is a satisfying life? To be away from home and your family just to be at the bottom of another society and working for a salary that is barely better then at home??

The percentage of Myanmar people who work abroad and later life abroad permanently while making good money is very slim. The percentage of those that later can buy a house and car is even smaller.

And regarding owning your own car and house. Why cant you do that in Myanmar? If you are poor in Myanmar you will also be poor in Europe or the US. Its really that simple unfortunately. How do you think you get from poorly educated life in Myanmar to rich life in the Europe or the US? How do you think uneducated laborers are paid in the West?

The only time I have ever heard anyone using Myanmaese was some western news report. Never heard anybody in Myanmar use the term "Myanmaese". Are you sure you are Myanmar yourself or are you just talking out of your ass? And if you are really Myanmar then why the hell are you using these fake terms that are made up by western news reports?

Oh dear,you seem very young and naive,I think you're about to get a harsh lesson in reality!

Unfortunately life isn't a fairytale and to question why someone from Myanmar would want to live under a dictatorial military junta/regime,with an atrocious record on human rights makes me question just how long you've spent in Burma?

Did you just go there on a visa run and fall in love on the first day there or something?

Have you even been there? Or just copying what some international media agency is telling you?

Its not me who is naive but you if you think everyone wants to leave his home country just because his home country, in your western opinion at least, sucks.

I know plenty of Myanmar people who used to work in Thailand, Singapore, UAE etc. and they are more then happy to come back after they have earned some money. I wonder why that is???

But obviously you are the expert on Myanmar after all you probably been there for years and know thousands of Myanmar people who work abroad.

Everyone who has been to Myanmar and did more then just sight seeing with a tour guide in Bagan and Inle lake knows that the majority of the people are not keen on going to a foreign country.

An what about women there, hard to approach ? :-)

Stay in Pattaya ?

I have been waiting just outside of the immigration office in Mandalay while my fiance was in there to apply for a passport. Your information is totally incorrect.

My fiance never had any problem with the local authorities because of me and I have been with here in all kinds of government places in a area where a civil war is going on right outside the bigger cities.

Not sure what kind of person gave you this paranoid idea that your girlfriend will have issues because of you beeing a foreigner.

@TomTom

Myanmar nationals are indeed not allowed to marry a foreigner. There might be loopholes though especially if you have money to bribe officials.

What you can do is have a religious marriage at a church or a mosque. They will issue a marriage certificate (in my case the embassy accepts them, not sure about your countries embassy). You can also get a Buddhist marriage certificate but I dont know how this is done.

Great. Now the murdering thugs that are in charge can feel even more legitimate. Well done USA

Who cares about those Kachin who get murdered everyday anyways? Lets just celebrate the great democracy that has come to Myanmar so quickly

I have applied for numerous visas at the embassy in Bangkok and Berlin and have made the experience that white, grey or light blue picture backgrounds are ok.

USD will do these days. As for money exchange, you can go into any bank and take reference rate, then compare with rate from some travel agents outside. Heard Yangon rate is still better then Mandalay.

No. Banks offer the same exchange rate in Yangon and Mandalay. The bank exchange rates are generally better then the black market so no need to compare

OP seems a bit naive of his situation.

Anyways, what makes you think that a masters degree in Computer Science is worthless in Germany? They don't use computers in Deutschland? I bet you will find many IT related masters degree workers at Deutsche Bahn.

If anything is worthless it will be her lack of German work experience. That will make it more difficult for her to find an IT related job in Germany.

The degree is from a university in Myanmar. Thats enough reason to make it basically worthless in Europe

Hi SVB, do you forsee any villa opportunity there ?

Sure if you have millions of USD in your bank account. Otherwise no.

Land prices are very high anywhere in Myanmar.