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Posted
6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Although Mandalay is close to the 'front line', the city is reasonably quiet and safe.  Yes, there are armed police and soldiers, and the road passing the Chinese consulate is blocked off and guarded, after someone chucked a bomb at the building! 

 

Electricity power cuts happen several times a day, but that was also the case many years ago.  For me, one noticeable difference from my first visits many years ago are the large number of solar panel arrays mounted to completely cover the roofs of many buildings. Buildings always had diesel generators, but now solar power is much in evidence.  That's annoying for me, because the solar controller units generate harmonic radio signals that interfere with my reception of UHF/VHF satellite signals 🙂.  Of course, my ham radio transmitter is safely locked up in Thailand.... I will ask the military to renew my Burmese ham radio licence, but the chance of that happening is... er .... fecking unlikely!

 

I'm watched the various YouTube vloggers, and some of those videos are quite interesting and others are fear-mongering.  I note that the UK Foreign Office gives advice to the effect of "don't go there, and if you are there, then get out whilst you still have the chance..."

Any tourists left in this marvellous city? Stayed there in 1986.... 

Posted

Please excuse my ignorance but what is the latest situation regarding Aung San Suu Kyi? How is she now regarded by the general masses? Is she under house arrest? Is she still 'active'?

 

I can only assume with your background, you are probably best placed to comment.

Posted (edited)
22 hours ago, Hummin said:

How do you transfer money in the Burma? Any Atm there? 

 

When in Yangon (March 2023) there were quite a few ATMs. In the airport was a line of 3 or 4 modern ATMs from Myanmar banks. My WISE card would not work in any of them, however my Thai Kbank ATM/Debit card worked fine. I was also able to use my UK MBNA credit card (WISE didn't work) in a couple of western style restauarants in the city (to preserve local cash).

 

Edited by soi3eddie
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Posted
1 minute ago, soi3eddie said:

 

When in Yangon (March 2023) there were quite a few ATMs. In the airport was a line of 3 or 4 modern ATMs from Myanmar banks. My WISE card would not work in any of them, however my Thai Kbank ATM/Debit card worked fine. I was also able to use my UK MBNA credit card in a couple of western style restauarants in the city (to preserve local cash).

 

 

For me, the only reason would be to go on a almost untuched location for snorkeling and diving. Still can go on these live onboard boats who do operate in the south. Island hopping is maybe not the time 

Posted
1 minute ago, soi3eddie said:

 

When in Yangon (March 2023) there were quite a few ATMs. In the airport was a line of 3 or 4 modern ATMs from Myanmar banks. My WISE card would not work in any of them, however my Thai Kbank ATM/Debit card worked fine. I was also able to use my UK MBNA credit card in a couple of western style restauarants in the city (to preserve local cash).

 

I read an article explaining how the junta was obtaining foreign currency by forcing expatriate Burmese to exchange foreign currency at punitive exchange rates. The banks are complicit and compounding the situation by diverting foreign currency to the government, this helps their war effort and allows them to buy things their own currency cannot. 

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Posted

Great stuff, thanks.  You like to hop  around.  I thought I moved around a bit, state to state when in USA, but you're constantly on the move, country to country  :cheesy:

 

Keep it coming, as nice to get real info from real people there. 

 

No tourist ... BLISS, though sucks for the locals.

Posted

Great story and it brings back wonderful memories for me. I used to travel a lot in Myanmar and miss it since the recent coup. I'd love to keep up with your stories. Just one question. I heard savage sounding dogs when I climbed those steps up to the top. Are they still there?

Posted
On 11/22/2024 at 1:01 AM, jori123 said:

Burma is OK, but damned boring, beer is ok though

I bet the beer is not as weak as your opinions.

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Posted
58 minutes ago, kevozman1 said:

You have more guts than me... I have this nostalgia bug of Thailand 20 years ago that I think Myanmar would maybe realize, but it's just too risky. Not sure if i'm sensible or becoming cowardly as I get a bit older. From travelers I have heard Yangon is ok, but most of the country is risky. What is your assessment Simon? I do recollect you posting many years ago that you had enough of Thailand and was planning to move to Myanmar. Good to see you are still around and followed through with your plan.

I've always said that Myanmar is like Thailand 50 years ago, not 20! And thats not a sneer. I love(d) travelling there.

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Posted (edited)
30 minutes ago, simon43 said:

[quote]

...

What is your assessment Simon? I do recollect you posting many years ago that you had enough of Thailand and was planning to move to Myanmar.

...

[/quote]

 

Well, checking where I've been living since 2012, I note that the majority of my time has been spent living and teaching in Myanmar, followed by Laos and then Thailand. I've been a teacher in Yangon several times, Mandalay several times, then Naypyitaw and Mahlaign (spelling?).

 

Myanmar is never my idea of a retirement or leisure destination!  I go there to help with student education.  The lack of decent amenities, hospitals, retirement visas etc rules it off my list.  My plan is still to eventually retire in the Philippines (index-linked UK pension), but I find that I do not feel ready to retire.

 

It's National Day on Monday next, so the amount of anti-junta activity will probably increase.

 

Yonks ago, , I established a very small enterprise called Xtrer (XTRER), whose modus-operandi was to generate small but regular amounts of money for under-privileged families living in developing countries. "A little xtrer helps" was the company tagline, and I realised that you do not need to throw $$$ of cash at a project, in order to get results IF you cut out the middlemen and those charity workers who were greedy, lazy, and exploited the local women (or men) etc.

 

Back in 2012, I used to see the charity workers from the big-name charities securing all the rooms in the 5-star hotel in Yangon, occasionally venturing out in their brand new landrovers for a spot of shopping.  I found it disgusting!  I went directly to the school book supplier, negotiated a large discount (because I was using my own cash to buy and donate the books), and I was able to help deserving students by creating mini-libraries of the books required by the school syllabus at each school or orphanage.  This cost me only a small amount of money, but would make a big difference in the student's education 🙂

 

Here's one of these mini-libraries at SaMa Mountain orphanage in central Myanmar.

 

mini-library.jpg.234d27d161e33a381b99dd8119374d73.jpg

 

 

There are other friends of mine also living and helping in Myanmar, and making a difference to the communities that they help.  It doesn't require much money, just the desire to help 🙂

Simon, I'm on a retirement visa in thailand been living here for 20 years but made 4 long trips to Myanmar, the last just before the recent coup. What can I do for kids education in the country, either including visits there or from here?

Edited by Card
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Posted
11 minutes ago, Card said:

I've always said that Myanmar is like Thailand 50 years ago, not 20! And thats not a sneer. I love(d) travelling there.

 

Maybe one day. I honestly struggle to justify the risk to myself but I have a weird feeling like I did about Thailand years ago (which proved correct) that if I traveled around there it would be a fantastic journey. 

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