Mai Sai

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

[ThaiPauly]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

What a horrific story

I have heard about these sort of goings on in Burma....unbelieveable....but sadly true

[villagefarang]

There is a shop that sells motorcycle apparel. Jackets, gloves, boots, armor and some other stuff. Good enough to save a friends skin and bones on a 30 meter slide on blacktop recently. Prices are not bad either.

[davidgtr]

There is a shop that sells motorcycle apparel. Jackets, gloves, boots, armor and some other stuff. Good enough to save a friends skin and bones on a 30 meter slide on blacktop recently. Prices are not bad either.

Yes indeed. A good shop: Jin Chen Fa.

Some more photos & info here.

Edited May 20, 2011 by bazmlb
link to other forum removed

[Soulwy]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

Let us be warned...what a scary situation... One more reason why I am so happy not being a man...

Oh, I buy beads and pearls, better priced than in CM or BKK.

[uptheos]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

Was this on a cross border journey at Mai Sai, or inside Burma i.e Yangon, Mandalay etc?

Regardless, I think in a country such as Burma, you showed a certain amount of naivity going off with a 'tout like guy' to ANYWHERE!

[frenchfarangjomtien]

Snake Head Wine.

Is it the famous Asian Snake Wine, kind of rice wine liquor ? How much do they sell it ?

Thanks.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

Was this on a cross border journey at Mai Sai, or inside Burma i.e Yangon, Mandalay etc?

Regardless, I think in a country such as Burma, you showed a certain amount of naivity going off with a 'tout like guy' to ANYWHERE!

That was at Talichek march 2010. I don't know about naive. Lots of people take touts to temples etc. Have you ever taken a Tuk Tuk to see an attraction etc? does that make you naive? Maybe I am naive but what did the guy think? That he could convert anybody into being a pedophile. It did somewhat cross my mind about an orphanage but I said nothing about it and nor did he. I guess I am an optimist and thought maybe I could help some orphans.

Here is a picture of a bottle of cobra and scorpion whiskey from Myanmar. 300 baht. I bought a smaller one for 150 baht.

[uptheos]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

Was this on a cross border journey at Mai Sai, or inside Burma i.e Yangon, Mandalay etc?

Regardless, I think in a country such as Burma, you showed a certain amount of naivity going off with a 'tout like guy' to ANYWHERE!

That was at Talichek march 2010. I don't know about naive. Lots of people take touts to temples etc. Have you ever taken a Tuk Tuk to see an attraction etc? does that make you naive? Maybe I am naive but what did the guy think? That he could convert anybody into being a pedophile. It did somewhat cross my mind about an orphanage but I said nothing about it and nor did he. I guess I am an optimist and thought maybe I could help some orphans.

Here is a picture of a bottle of cobra and scorpion whiskey from Myanmar. 300 baht. I bought a smaller one for 150 baht.

I'm sure you mean touts take people to temples.

Sure I've taken a Tuk Tuk to where I want to go, but no I've never taken a Tuk Tuk to where HE wanted to go.

I always give 'tout like guys' a very wide berth, I can't imagine they'd have something I want or needed, but didn't know I wanted or needed.....if you get my drift.

Your life is your own, but I still think there was a certain amount of naivity in what you described............sorry.:jap:

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

be careful in Myanmar. The level of corruption and desperation is far higher than what your used to in Thailand.

I was there about 6 months ago and had some time to kill. A tout like guy is telling me about an orphanage that needs help. He is telling me I could visit and give some basic english lessons. I figure it it would be interesting and maybe they expect a donation. Okay so off we go.

We arrive and a bunch of very young kids are lined up for me to meet. The tout guy says I can pay some money and spend time "alone in a private room" with kid or kids of my choice. All of a sudden it dawns on me what is going on. My mind is getting a good bit of panic and realize I need to get the hel_l out of there asap.

I look at my watch and tell the tout guy I am going to be late for my bus. I toss some baht to the orphanage worker. They don't want me to leave but literally have to push my way out.

When I get outside there is a policemen to stop me and start asking a bunch of pointed and accusatory questions. What a setup. I did nothing wrong and just maintained a forceful and indignant tone. Finally I get the tout guy to drive me back.

That country is messed up. Anything you buy or do there is going to be potentially dodgy. Turn up your caution level when you visit.

Was this on a cross border journey at Mai Sai, or inside Burma i.e Yangon, Mandalay etc?

Regardless, I think in a country such as Burma, you showed a certain amount of naivity going off with a 'tout like guy' to ANYWHERE!

That was at Talichek march 2010. I don't know about naive. Lots of people take touts to temples etc. Have you ever taken a Tuk Tuk to see an attraction etc? does that make you naive? Maybe I am naive but what did the guy think? That he could convert anybody into being a pedophile. It did somewhat cross my mind about an orphanage but I said nothing about it and nor did he. I guess I am an optimist and thought maybe I could help some orphans.

Here is a picture of a bottle of cobra and scorpion whiskey from Myanmar. 300 baht. I bought a smaller one for 150 baht.

I'm sure you mean touts take people to temples.

Sure I've taken a Tuk Tuk to where I want to go, but no I've never taken a Tuk Tuk to where HE wanted to go.

I always give 'tout like guys' a very wide berth, I can't imagine they'd have something I want or needed, but didn't know I wanted or needed.....if you get my drift.

Your life is your own, but I still think there was a certain amount of naivity in what you described............sorry.:jap:

I didn't get fleeced or arrested and don't have any real hesitation abou visiting Myanmar or Laos etc but was giving people a heads up about something they might not have been readily aware of.

Unless your driving the tuk tuk then there is a degree of trust your relying on. Do you only go to see attractions you have prescreened? I seriously doubt that. Do you tell the driver what streets to take? Again not likely. When a person gets into a taxi, tuk tuk etc then to a degree they are trusting they are going to get what was bargained for. I wanted to help some orphans. I didn't wink wink or suggest I wanted to bugger them.

What is your point? Did my not being super suspicious cause this sexual deviant underworld to spring to life? Did I get what I deserved because I didn't expect the absolute bottom of the barrel human behavior?

I am definitely not going to be that interested in helping orphans in the future but would one assume all orphanages are covers for underage prostitution? Just in Myanmar or would a non naive person assume orphanages in Thailand are also suspect? I definitely underestimated the sleaze factor in Myanmar compared to Thailand but I was trying to share the experience with others. Is there some orphan certification bureau I should use first to vet their credentials?

[uptheos]

I didn't get fleeced or arrested and don't have any real hesitation abou visiting Myanmar or Laos etc but was giving people a heads up about something they might not have been readily aware of.

Unless your driving the tuk tuk then there is a degree of trust your relying on. Do you only go to see attractions you have prescreened? I seriously doubt that. Do you tell the driver what streets to take? Again not likely. When a person gets into a taxi, tuk tuk etc then to a degree they are trusting they are going to get what was bargained for. I wanted to help some orphans. I didn't wink wink or suggest I wanted to bugger them.

What is your point? Did my not being super suspicious cause this sexual deviant underworld to spring to life? Did I get what I deserved because I didn't expect the absolute bottom of the barrel human behavior?

I am definitely not going to be that interested in helping orphans in the future but would one assume all orphanages are covers for underage prostitution? Just in Myanmar or would a non naive person assume orphanages in Thailand are also suspect? I definitely underestimated the sleaze factor in Myanmar compared to Thailand but I was trying to share the experience with others. Is there some orphan certification bureau I should use first to vet their credentials?

I'm sorry if my response touched a nerve.

I guess I wouldn't go to an orphanage anywhere, on the suggestion of a Tuk Tuk driver.......obviously others would / might.

I'm sure you have opened the eyes of many people.

[Thaifan2]

My recent visit was my second in the last year or so .Having had bad experiences with Tuk Tuk drivers in Bangkok i would never take one there .

The touts were less of a problem this trip as i just said no straight away and did not even look at what they were offering .Show any interest at all and its very hard to get rid of them .

The Bavarian brand beer was B100 for 3 large 500ml cans and tasted ok and made a change from Thai beer .Likewise the Australian wine 3 bottles for B500 tasted ok . The box set of DVDs all worked well and were nicely packaged .

I did not see that motorcycle parts shop and will look out for it if i go again .

[heybruce]

Is selling things on from Burma legal? Its just I noticed threads such as labour in Chiang Mai and other far less questionable activities, but of considerable interest, closed down on here almost immediately.

Iain

Burma is not Thailand

Burmese in Thailand ...not the same thing

So I can go to Burma, buy booze, and sell it in a bar or say market in Thailand no worries?

No worries if you're not caught. Selling booze without the Thai tax stamp is illegal.

[el jefe]

The naive people are the ones who think this scam doesn't happen in Thailand. The scam is not that they think you're a pedophile but that you're going to have to pay a bribe because you're accused of being one.

How is this any different than the scam where people are accused of shoplifting at the duty free shops at the airport and are forced to pay a substantial bribe to have the charges dropped?

[Thaifan2]

The naive people are the ones who think this scam doesn't happen in Thailand. The scam is not that they think you're a pedophile but that you're going to have to pay a bribe because you're accused of being one.

How is this any different than the scam where people are accused of shoplifting at the duty free shops at the airport and are forced to pay a substantial bribe to have the charges dropped?

The Airport thing was not a scam ,they were caught clearly robbing on video .I saw the video myself .

Also i have never heard of the Pedo scam being done within Thailand .

[rrose070]

TP, I absolutely agree. I would rather smoke MY OWN HAIR than those cigarettes. Perfume and whatnot was ok, though. Don't buy from the first vendor though; the prices will drop substantially as word gets out that you're moving thru the area. And word will get out, very quickly.