How Quickly Are Things Changing Regarding Lifestyle?

[Asiantravel]

I crossed over the border from Thailand to Tachilek a couple of weeks ago and I noticed dramatic changes such as good road improvements and many new shops and businesses since I was last there about one year ago.

And an absolutely huge growth in the number of motorcycles. I naturally assumed these were bought on credit like they are here in Thailand but an Indian guy told me the banking system hardly offers any credit at the moment so how all these young people have been able to buy their motorbikes is a complete mystery to me?

So I wondered if expats living in the main cities have also benefited from the opening up of the economy? Such as do you now have a greater range of places to buy imported foods etc?

For example it wasn't so long ago that Phnom Penh had a very limited range of supermarkets so I wondered what the position is in Yangon? Have any new supermarkets opened in the last 12 months?

[DagonKhan]

And an absolutely huge growth in the number of motorcycles. I naturally assumed these were bought on credit like they are here in Thailand but an Indian guy told me the banking system hardly offers any credit at the moment so how all these young people have been able to buy their motorbikes is a complete mystery to me?

Simply put, they're not as poor as people think. There is however a huge problem with money lenders here. Most do not have the necessary collateral for a loan and the ones that do borrow money pay enormous rates of interest, 20%/month is not uncommon, family members often fulfil this role though but even between family members 2-3% per month is quite usual. People losing their houses to money lenders is quite common, they've ruined many families.

So I wondered if expats living in the main cities have also benefited from the opening up of the economy? Such as do you now have a greater range of places to buy imported foods etc?

I've noticed certain imported items have actually disappeared off the shelves in the last 6 months, but maybe that's just me and my own personal tastes. No there's not a greater range of places to buy stuff, still the same old places.

For example it wasn't so long ago that Phnom Penh had a very limited range of supermarkets so I wondered what the position is in Yangon? Have any new supermarkets opened in the last 12 months?

Still the same old supermarkets. They all pretty much stock the same crap. Last new one to open in Yangon that I can think of was the one on Pyay road near the Hanthawaddy roundabout, it is part of the new shopping centre there and is part of a chain so nothing really new as far as choice goes.