Day-to-day life in Myanmar

[Tomtomtom69]

On 12/27/2024 at 2:58 PM, scotty1286 said:

North, I am working on Ramree island.

 

Are you a dive instructor? 

[Tomtomtom69]

On 12/3/2024 at 8:10 AM, simon43 said:

So, the general opinion is that Burma and Laos are both boring, but the beer is great in both countries!  I disagree with the first POV, but definitely agree with the second 🙂.  But 'Myanmar Beer' is off the menu nowadays because of its ties to the military.

Still easy to find Myanmar beer even in Mae Sot, Three Pagodas Pass and other border areas of Myanmar. 

 

I find it to be just OK. Not remotely as good as Beer Lao and only slightly better than any Thai beer. 

[simon43]

4 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

Still easy to find Myanmar beer even in Mae Sot, Three Pagodas Pass and other border areas of Myanmar. 

 

I find it to be just OK. Not remotely as good as Beer Lao and only slightly better than any Thai beer. 

I can find Myanmar beer at many shops and cafes/restaurants.  But like most of the local Burmese, I won't buy it because of its ties to the military. (Were it not for those ties, I would drink it by the gallon!)

[simon43]

9 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Do locals stare at you a lot since you're one of the few westerners in town? Must feel like being a rockstar! 

Yes, most locals do stare and many total strangers come up to me to say 'Mingalaba' 🙂  On my 5km walk in Mandalay today and in the supermarket , I saw no foreigners....  I probably don't look like a visiting tourist either.... (thanks ChatGPT for the image).

 

 

[Tomtomtom69]

7 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Yes, most locals do stare and many total strangers come up to me to say 'Mingalaba' 🙂  On my 5km walk in Mandalay today and in the supermarket , I saw no foreigners....  I probably don't look like a visiting tourist either.... (thanks ChatGPT for the image).

 

 

 

Haha. Nice photo.

 

Still, you just have to be white, in order to be noticed by the locals. Nothing to do with wearing socks with sandals and big flashy cameras, like the old American tourist stereotype. 

 

Not saying your encounters would be negative; but more out of curiosity, since foreigners are now so rare in Myanmar, even in places like Mandalay. Even at a mall in Bangkok, I once had a strange Thai teenage girl approach me and say she was so excited to meet a foreigner. A total wacko, or some bizarre English project from school? I don't know and it wasn't the first time either, but at least the third time...(granted, only the 3rd time in nearly 20 years but just saying). 

 

Hence why in a country like Myanmar, I'd expect such encounters to be even more common. 

[Tomtomtom69]

37 minutes ago, simon43 said:

I can find Myanmar beer at many shops and cafes/restaurants.  But like most of the local Burmese, I won't buy it because of its ties to the military. (Were it not for those ties, I would drink it by the gallon!)

 

Oh, I see. A pity you're using politics to determine what you choose to eat or drink, although I'm not going to judge you for that. It's up to you. 

 

Myanmar beer - not my cup of tea, regardless of politics.

 

In fact, it took me a year to even open my second bottle I purchased on a trip to Myanmar a few years ago because I remembered how ordinary I found it to be the first time round. I only drank it because it was getting close to expiring and I didn't want to throw it away. 

 

When I visit Myanmar, I generally don't buy it at all, simply because, I don't like it. It's not enjoyable. It feels like I have to force myself to drink it. I'd rather drink tea, or any imported beer. 

[simon43]

Today is January 2nd and back to school.  Except it's not!  I got up at 6am, prepared my lessons, walked 40 minutes to school, only to find that the school bosses decided to take today and tomorrow as extra holiday, except no-one bothered to tell me lol.

 

Oh well, no problem, back home and relax.

 

I took this photo of some nice paintings on the wall of an empty house - very nice

 

 

I went out to the print shop in Mandalay.  There are a lot of police about with long guns, plus some fighter jets screaming over the city.  Probably some new year fighting close to the city (the last reported fighting was only 13km away...)

[scotty1286]

On 1/1/2025 at 3:05 PM, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Are you a dive instructor? 

No.

[Burma Bill]

23 hours ago, simon43 said:

police about with long guns, plus some fighter jets screaming over the city. 

 

Hi Simon. Happy New Year, however please take care and try and avoid the genocidal Tatmadaw and its allies.

[simon43]

4 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Hi Simon. Happy New Year, however please take care and try and avoid the genocidal Tatmadaw and its allies.

Yes, Happy New Year to you as well.  The problem with the Tatmadaw is that when they see me (a foreigner), they come over to shake my hand.... I haven't yet learnt the Burmese for 'sod off!' and it no doubt wouldn't be appropriate to utter that phrase 🙂

 

I must say that the hotel that I'm now staying in has a wonderful view of Mandalay Hill and the pagodas, about 4 km away from me. I wish I were an artist, since it would be good to paint a picture of the green hill and golden pagodas in the background, and the somewhat-ramshackle buildings in the foreground.

 

[simon43]

 

I always marvel at how well Burmese women can balance items on their heads.  Years ago, my school in Yangon had a special race on sports day for all the female admin staff to run while balancing a large bunch of bananas on their heads (no hands allowed)! I was amazed at how fast they could run without dropping the bananas.

 

Anyway, today being Sunday and not too hot, I decided to walk from my hotel to the palace and moat, then up and down Mandalay Hill (all the way to the top pagoda), around the moat on all 4 sides, and then back to my hotel via the food shops.  It was about 16 Km in total, but a very nice walk.

 

 

Near Mandalay hill, there were various oxen carts with Burmese women and their offspring dressed up in beautiful clothes.  They were happy for me to take some photos.  Then the procession of carts set off along the road, with Burmese music playing.

 

 

As I slowly climbed the 1,729 steps up to the top of the hill, (and then the same down again!), I could hear this music becoming more faint, to be replaced by the Buddhist chanting of a group of women who were praying at a pagoda hall about halfway up the hill.

 

 

All in all, it was a nice way to spend a Sunday morning 🙂 I made my way to the Ocean food mall at Diamond Plaza.  One issue that I have about food in Myanmar is that a lot of the food is not really very healthy!  I like to eat fresh salads, but I'd need to buy the vegetables and prepare the salad myself.  This means that those vegetables are somewhat 'withered' after a few days.  No muesli either for breakfast.  I tend to survive on fresh fruit and Shan noodle salad, but I don't think it's ideal in the long-term...

[Mahseer]

On 1/3/2025 at 4:56 PM, simon43 said:

Yes, Happy New Year to you as well.  The problem with the Tatmadaw is that when they see me (a foreigner), they come over to shake my hand.... I haven't yet learnt the Burmese for 'sod off!' and it no doubt wouldn't be appropriate to utter that phrase 🙂

 

I must say that the hotel that I'm now staying in has a wonderful view of Mandalay Hill and the pagodas, about 4 km away from me. I wish I were an artist, since it would be good to paint a picture of the green hill and golden pagodas in the background, and the somewhat-ramshackle buildings in the foreground.

 

Similar view to the Excelsior my hotel of choice in Rangoon. Love the place and the view.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

On 11/21/2024 at 5:25 PM, simon43 said:

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. 

 

Interesting thread that I'm just catching today for the first time. Look forward to further posts.

 

FWIW, I follow a couple of YT channels run by locals (not expats) there in Yangon... They're careful to avoid any overt political commentary. But a couple things did seem to shine thru regularly.

 

1. The ongoing and persistent extent of the power outages seems a real ongoing issue, as is the widespread use (at least by mainstream businesses) of diesel generators so they can remain in business when the power goes out.

 

2. Repeated comments from the locals about how it's "not safe" to go out at night, but no real elaboration of what they mean by that. Not sure if they mean not being out after curfew, or simply not safe because of other reasons, police, military, crime, not sure.

 

At least in Yangon, any semblance of Western foreign tourism seems to be largely erased.

 

[simon43]

[quote]

 

1. The ongoing and persistent extent of the power outages seems a real ongoing issue, as is the widespread use (at least by mainstream businesses) of diesel generators so they can remain in business when the power goes out.

 

2. Repeated comments from the locals about how it's "not safe" to go out at night, but no real elaboration of what they mean by that. Not sure if they mean not being out after curfew, or simply not safe because of other reasons, police, military, crime, not sure.

[/quote]

 

The power outages are nothing new.  There has been a lack of 'energy' in the country for decades.  During my first teaching position in 2012 in Yangon, my tenement building had no generator and no battery power.  I got used to sleeping in 30+ degree hot summer nights with no air-con and no fan!

 

Breaking of a curfew by a local could no doubt lead to a severe beating and/or jail-time if caught.

The level of petty crime/muggings has increased, so obviously a risk after dark.

Certainly here in Mandalay, young men avoid going out after dark because of the risk of being picked up by roving military and forcefully-conscripted into the army.

[Mahseer]

No curfew in Yangon at present and it's a great place to visit despite extensive troubles elsewhere in the country. As for safety wandered downtown daily on my own up to midnight and never an issue but that's just one persons experience. Tourism is about non existent at present but did come across couple of groups of Russians but they were likely in town on business. 
 

As for power outages as others have stated it's a way of line of life and the day there wasn't a power cut would likely make headlines (if allowed). 

[simon43]

23 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

No curfew in Yangon at present and it's a great place to visit despite extensive troubles elsewhere in the country. As for safety wandered downtown daily on my own up to midnight and never an issue but that's just one persons experience. Tourism is about non existent at present but did come across couple of groups of Russians but they were likely in town on business. 
 

As for power outages as others have stated it's a way of line of life and the day there wasn't a power cut would likely make headlines (if allowed). 

Yes, no curfew in Mandalay, but after dark (8pm), the streets are deserted.

 

I did see 2 'white-skinned' tourists yesterday near the moat at Mandalay Palace, but they studiously ignored my greetings....

 

My hotel has a 24/7 generator, but (like most hotels), when the mains electricity supply cuts out, so does the hotel wifi router, since it has to reboot.  I don't understand why hotels don't put their router on a car battery and inverter to avoid the 60 second reboot!  So I also tie in at least 2 different mobile phone networks to my internet connection, to avoid breaks in my online lessons.

[Tomtomtom69]

On 1/3/2025 at 4:56 PM, simon43 said:

Yes, Happy New Year to you as well.  The problem with the Tatmadaw is that when they see me (a foreigner), they come over to shake my hand.... I haven't yet learnt the Burmese for 'sod off!' and it no doubt wouldn't be appropriate to utter that phrase 🙂

 

I must say that the hotel that I'm now staying in has a wonderful view of Mandalay Hill and the pagodas, about 4 km away from me. I wish I were an artist, since it would be good to paint a picture of the green hill and golden pagodas in the background, and the somewhat-ramshackle buildings in the foreground.

 

 

Yeah, it definitely wouldn't be appropriate for you to be a dick to the locals, even to the military, otherwise, you'll quickly find yourself deported and declared a persona non grata.

 

Be respectful and respect the rules. 

 

I'm surprised you've even decided to live in Myanmar given the circumstances. It's a country I love, but I doubt I could see myself living there at the present time. Visiting, yes, that's fine, I've been twice since the end of Covid restrictions (which also means since the coup). 

[Tomtomtom69]

2 hours ago, Mahseer said:

No curfew in Yangon at present and it's a great place to visit despite extensive troubles elsewhere in the country. As for safety wandered downtown daily on my own up to midnight and never an issue but that's just one persons experience. Tourism is about non existent at present but did come across couple of groups of Russians but they were likely in town on business. 
 

As for power outages as others have stated it's a way of line of life and the day there wasn't a power cut would likely make headlines (if allowed). 

 

How do you know they were there on business? Most Russians you see in Asia are tourists. 

 

How do you know there's no curfew? Locals talk about a short curfew between 1am and 3am or something. Not that you would want to be out at that hour, everything is closed anyway. 

[Tomtomtom69]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Yes, no curfew in Mandalay, but after dark (8pm), the streets are deserted.

 

I did see 2 'white-skinned' tourists yesterday near the moat at Mandalay Palace, but they studiously ignored my greetings....

 

My hotel has a 24/7 generator, but (like most hotels), when the mains electricity supply cuts out, so does the hotel wifi router, since it has to reboot.  I don't understand why hotels don't put their router on a car battery and inverter to avoid the 60 second reboot!  So I also tie in at least 2 different mobile phone networks to my internet connection, to avoid breaks in my online lessons.

 

Very strange. I would have said hello and been happy to have a chat with you. With hardly any westerners in Myanmar at present, it must feel quite lonely to a foreigner (as lovely as the locals are, of course). Just that there's always going to be a cultural barrier. 

[Tomtomtom69]

16 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Interesting thread that I'm just catching today for the first time. Look forward to further posts.

 

FWIW, I follow a couple of YT channels run by locals (not expats) there in Yangon... They're careful to avoid any overt political commentary. But a couple things did seem to shine thru regularly.

 

1. The ongoing and persistent extent of the power outages seems a real ongoing issue, as is the widespread use (at least by mainstream businesses) of diesel generators so they can remain in business when the power goes out.

 

2. Repeated comments from the locals about how it's "not safe" to go out at night, but no real elaboration of what they mean by that. Not sure if they mean not being out after curfew, or simply not safe because of other reasons, police, military, crime, not sure.

 

At least in Yangon, any semblance of Western foreign tourism seems to be largely erased.

 

 

It's always a good idea to heed the advice of locals.

 

Some westerners have this completely naive idea that Myanmar (and especially Thailand) are safer than they actually are. Just because they've never run into trouble, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. 

Similarly, depending on how you structure your life, will determine your perception of safety. 

 

Taking common sense safety protocols, will ensure you are as safe as can be and unlikely to ever become the victim of a crime. 

 

In Myanmar, including in Mandalay and Yangon don't go out (unless it's for a flight or some sort of emergency) when the streets are deserted. There's a good chance you'll become the center of unwanted attention if you do, especially as a westerner. While there will be nothing to do late at night, Kawthaung seems safe enough though. 

It's also weird how different it feels when you drive everywhere (like I normally do) to taking a bit of a walk. When I drive from place to place, stopping off at malls and places where upper middle class locals go, it obviously feels very different and more insulated than when I'm going for a walk somewhere and suddenly some local smiles or reacts, whereas driving along that same area you simply wouldn't get that perception, because you're insulated and disconnected from your surroundings. 

 

Therefore, don't hang out and walk around at 3am in Mandalay. You're setting yourself up for trouble. Similarly, those Bangkok or Pattaya neighborhoods / streets that might seem safe between 6am and say, 9pm may suddenly become a little dangerous at 1am or 4am when young motorcycle racers decide to use them, and stopping off at a gas station where they gather might be inadvisable if you're a foreigner and this is Thailand, which is definitely safer than Myanmar, but still not as safe as is it is made out to be. 

 

Certain places in Myanmar should NEVER be visited by foreigners (many of them are officially closed to westerners anyway).

 

These include cities such as Shwe Koko (even before Covid, a Frenchman I met, who was brought there by a local was told westerners were strictly banned and he wasn't allowed to alight from the vehicle he was traveling in). Payathonzu is another one (full of Chinese, Lao and Thai scammers now) - super dangerous and if Myanmar immigration or the police sees you, big trouble.

 

Basically any of the scam cities along the Thai or Chinese borders and any restricted area such as Mogok, Muse, many parts of Kachin State etc. need to be avoided. Even if you could somehow get there as a westerner, don't. 

 

I've been to Muse, but that was back in the day when westerners were still allowed to visit. I was the first and only westerner to have visited the place for maybe 2 years and probably the last non-Chinese foreign national to have been there as well. Muse was closed to non-Chinese foreigners in February 2015 and hasn't been legally accessible since. 

 

The one exception to the above would be a rural part of say Kayin state along the border north of Mae Sot, if a local takes you there and back on a day trip by boat from the Thai side, looking after you the whole time, this may still be relatively safe. Having said that, it's a bit of a risk if Thai immigration sees you, as you're not supposed to leave the Kingdom without permission. I've watched several YouTubers do this.

 

Myself, i've crossed into Kayin State and Shan state unofficially on several occasions, but this was pre-Covid and through checkpoints that were manned by the Thai military and thus permitted. I'm not sure foreigners are still allowed to do this, given the security situation in Myanmar at present. 

[Tomtomtom69]

16 hours ago, Mahseer said:

Similar view to the Excelsior my hotel of choice in Rangoon. Love the place and the view.

 

 

Very moldy. 

[Mahseer]

20 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

How do you know they were there on business? Most Russians you see in Asia are tourists. 

 

How do you know there's no curfew? Locals talk about a short curfew between 1am and 3am or something. Not that you would want to be out at that hour, everything is closed anyway. 

Russians tourists typically don't wear suits on holiday. 
 

When I visited November 2023 there was a curfew in Yangon so when I revisited July & November 2024 I enquired and was advised there was no longer a curfew. 
 

4 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Very moldy. 

If you have nothing to contribute..........

[Tomtomtom69]

On 1/3/2025 at 7:05 AM, scotty1286 said:

No.

 

Well, if you're "working on an island" in Myanmar, there can't be very many possibilities. Either you're a dive instructor (which you've confirmed, you are not), an English teacher or involved in some sort of resort or restaurant. 

Very, very unusual to hear of westerners doing anything on an island in Myanmar at present given the economic, political circumstances and general restrictions on foreigners.

 

I became friends with the owner of a hotel in Dawei who thanks to Covid and then the coup, was forced to sell his dream hotel. His second beach hotel also never became a reality due to years of bureaucracy, an anti-foreigner bias, which meant it took years to receive the necessary permits to build his hotel and in the end, that project was shelved too. 

 

Such a beautiful area, and now with the Dawei Deep Sea Project also being canceled thanks to the coup and lack of interest from investors, the potential of the area may never be realized. 

[Tomtomtom69]

4 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

Russians tourists typically don't wear suits on holiday. 
 

When I visited November 2023 there was a curfew in Yangon so when I revisited July & November 2024 I enquired and was advised there was no longer a curfew. 
 

If you have nothing to contribute..........

 

Well, locals have told me otherwise, regarding the curfew. Can't verify either way, but apparently it's in effect for 2 hours now. Possibly only in some neighborhoods, not the entire city. 

 

What's wrong with pointing out how moldy it looks? It looks ugly and not a healthy environment, having to breathe in all that mold. 

[Burma Bill]

57 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

I'm surprised you've even decided to live in Myanmar given the circumstances (referring to Simon)

 And why not?

 

It is a matter of personal choice and I commend Simon for all his charitable work in Burma. There are many persons like Simon who are living in "conflict" countries around the World "doing good" for the local people, especially the young and poor. Congratulations Simon!

 

At one point during my retirement in Thailand, living across the border in Tachilek (Burma) was considered by me as I had Burmese friends there. Thai bureaucratic "officialdom" was the reason, but it never happened, the result of the latest coup, and I relocated to Siem Reap in Cambodia where I live to this day. 

 

 

[Mahseer]

56 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

What's wrong with pointing out how moldy it looks? It looks ugly and not a healthy environment, having to breathe in all that mold. 

That is how down town Yangon looks specifically streets 21-48. It's the appearance that buildings 100 years old take on when there are insufficient to maintain. Personally I love this area.

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, Mahseer said:

Russians tourists typically don't wear suits on holiday. 
 

When I visited November 2023 there was a curfew in Yangon so when I revisited July & November 2024 I enquired and was advised there was no longer a curfew. 
 

If you have nothing to contribute..........

 

I totally agree. 

Those Russians could possibly have been business men (as quoted), diplomats or even military advisers in "civvies". 

Russia and China supply military equipment to the Burmese military (Tatmadaw), for example fighter jets which kill and injure many thousands of innocent civilians. 

[Burma Bill]

6 minutes ago, Mahseer said:

It's the appearance that buildings 100 years old take on

 

Interesting photos and yes, a reminder of ex-colonial days as I witnessed in Rangoon during my visits. 

Despite the state of disrepair, how fascinating to see satellite "dishes" on the roof tops. 

[Mahseer]

35 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

Interesting photos and yes, a reminder of ex-colonial days as I witnessed in Rangoon during my visits. 

Despite the state of disrepair, how fascinating to see satellite "dishes" on the roof tops. 

I spent a couple of mornings just taking photos of the buildings in the 21-48 street area and the vast majority are still occupied despite the various states.