Sex Sells in Burma’s Sin City

[DagonKhan]

Sex Sells in Burma’s Sin City

Female sex workers solicit passersby on a bridge in Mong La, eastern Burma. (Photo: Nang Seng Nom / The Irrawaddy)

MONG LA, Special Region 4 — Nowhere in culturally conservative Burma is it easier to find sex than in Mong La, a Sino-Burmese border town with a reputation for the illicit. Dozens of prostitutes line two bridges in the center of town, scantily clad and freely distributing business cards that offer their bodies to passersby.

Continues here:- http://www.irrawaddy.org/feature/sex-sells-burmas-sin-city.html

[Kabula]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

Government photo facial recognition software can zoom in, and make images crystal clear and can identify the women in the picture. Now they can be identified by ears alone.

You might also be subjecting these women to jail and fines.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Kabula

[waynethor]

I've got some news for the writer. Sex sells EVERYWHERE!

[waynethor]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

You must have amazing eyes, or we're not looking at the same photo. I can't imagine that anyone could distinguish who is who in that photo taken from far away with most of the women's backs to the photographer. I could possibly see your point if the photographer had got up close and in their faces.

[DagonKhan]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

Government photo facial recognition software can zoom in, and make images crystal clear and can identify the women in the picture. Now they can be identified by ears alone.

You might also be subjecting these women to jail and fines.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

Are you referring to the photo in the OP? The one from The Irrawaddy? Take it up with them if you have a problem with it, I'm not deleting it.

Edited September 3, 2014 by DagonKhan

[Deacon Bell]

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Somewhere between zero and none.

[Kabula]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

You must have amazing eyes, or we're not looking at the same photo. I can't imagine that anyone could distinguish who is who in that photo taken from far away with most of the women's backs to the photographer. I could possibly see your point if the photographer had got up close and in their faces.

See my edited post. Family members, friends, neighbors, fellow employees can recognize height, weight, clothing, shoes, purses, hair color and style. Especially if you enlarge the photo and utilize photo digital software to clean it up, zoom in and enhance it.

[Kabula]

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Somewhere between zero and none.

Ignorant remark. How do you know this?

[Deacon Bell]

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Somewhere between zero and none.

Ignorant remark. How do you know this?

Because you can't recognize or identify anyone in the photo that has caused you to meltdown.

[waynethor]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

You must have amazing eyes, or we're not looking at the same photo. I can't imagine that anyone could distinguish who is who in that photo taken from far away with most of the women's backs to the photographer. I could possibly see your point if the photographer had got up close and in their faces.

See my edited post. Family members, friends, neighbors, fellow employees can recognize height, weight, clothing, shoes, purses, hair color and style. Especially if you enlarge the photo and utilize photo digital software to clean it up, zoom in and enhance it.

I used my digital photo software to enlarge a section 5x, and wasn't surprised that nobody was more recognizable that way. Unfortunately, I can't seem to paste it in here.

As for "cleaning and enhancing it to clearly show faces" that only works in the movies. If you start with a tiny blurred photo, enlarging it will only give you bigger and blurrier photo. Now, I'm also going to assume that these girl don't wear their "hooker clothes" when having dinner with their friends and family. Hair color? Well if they're Burmese, it's likely black, isn't it? Unless they've dyed it auburn like 99% of Thai women do. Body shape? Are you serious?

[Codesh]

The one in the photo with the freckles on her nose is cute. But I don't like the colour of her contact lenses.

[Tomtomtom69]

Mong La is a city next to the Chinese border town of Daluo in Sipsongbanna autonomous region. The main language spoken in Mong La is Chinese, not Burmese. The ONLY currency accepted is Chinese Yuan (you can't use Kyat or any other currency there). The architectural style mimics Chinese rural towns and cities in Yunnan, not the rest of Myanmar. For all intents and purposes, Mong La is an extension of China and not Myanmar.

Mong La is accessible, for the time being, only from Tachilek because the China-Myanmar border there has generally been closed for the past few years. Hopefully they will eventually open it up, but my understanding is that problems with prostitution and mainly gambling and drug trafficking prompted the Chinese authorities to close the border there and delay the opening of an international checkpoint at that border. Indeed, there has been no mention of when that border might become an international checkpoint - the first one along the Chinese-Burmese frontier will be Ruili/Muse.

Anyway, I highly doubt anyone on Thai Visa has ever been to Mong La or knew where it was, until I made this post.

[Tomtomtom69]

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Somewhere between zero and none.

Ignorant remark. How do you know this?

Umm I think it's you who's being ignorant here. If we're going to debate what you said you need look no further than the article - please go to the Irrawaddy website and read it. The vast majority of Chinese in Mong La are there illegally. There are no visa extensions for Chinese there, because they shouldn't be there in the first place! I am quite sure that the Burmese government does not want foreigners living in unstable regions like eastern Shan State even if they come from a neighboring country, although the porous border makes it hard to enforce. In general though, one can assume that people slip in and out of the border, sometimes multiple times per day rather than go to the Burmese side and stay there for long periods of time. It's possible that border passes are being issued to Chinese now, but they are only valid for a day or perhaps a week and inside the town limits only. However, not long ago it wasn't legal for Chinese to travel there even on short term passes due to security reasons - hence why the border crossing has not been upgraded to an international crossing.

I've been to Muse, another border town across from China's infamous Ruili and what I saw there probably holds true for Mong La as well. For those of you that don't know, Ruili is the Chinese equivalent of Sin City, at least as far as border town sin cities go (so it's the equivalent of Mong La). Chinese and Burmese prostitutes (mostly Burmese) ply their trade and the area is known for the highest incidence of HIV in all of China; Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bengali and Burmese gem traders sell their wares on it's streets, Chinese traders come to buy them or just come for a taste of multi-ethnic South-East Asia without leaving China. Burmese restaurants and street vendors, Chinese KTV parlours and exotic palm lined streets make for an interesting mix of cultures and juxtapositions. Muse on the Burmese side is far from glamorous though, it's dead, relatively quiet and dusty by comparison to it's glitzy neighbor across the border. It's hotels are way overpriced (mostly US$50 a night for a US$10 room) and of inferior quality to anything on the Chinese side. Only one decent hotel is bookable on Agoda and that's the only decent place to stay in town.

Unlike Mong La, which has seen an infusion of Chinese money and is basically an extension of China, Muse is mostly a Burmese town where you spend your money mostly in the local Kyat (US Dollars are accepted by hotels but you can also pay in Kyat or even Yuan), although some traders can speak Chinese, you're better off with a smattering of Burmese and English (and failing that, simple Chinese works to some extent too but not everyone in town speaks it). There is only one massage shop in town and up until mid last year, Chinese were not officially allowed to cross, even on a day pass, with the exception of some Ruili locals with special contacts, who in any case weren't allowed further than a 10km radius from the border. I didn't cross into China as that was not my intention and I would have needed a permit anyway. Lots of Chinese crossing illegally but mostly just for short visits to buy goods and coming back the same day. Burmese were crossing legally on day passes or in some cases could stay up to a week, but only within a 2km radius of the Sino-Burmese border. There are plans to upgrade that border into an international crossing for all nationalities as has been announced as early as late last year.

[canman]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

You must have amazing eyes, or we're not looking at the same photo. I can't imagine that anyone could distinguish who is who in that photo taken from far away with most of the women's backs to the photographer. I could possibly see your point if the photographer had got up close and in their faces.

See my edited post. Family members, friends, neighbors, fellow employees can recognize height, weight, clothing, shoes, purses, hair color and style. Especially if you enlarge the photo and utilize photo digital software to clean it up, zoom in and enhance it.

I think you have been watching too much CSI mate. This is a low resolution digital photo and any faces are far away. You can't digitally enhance to get information which is not there.

[silverhawk_usa]

TomTomTom69

Anyway, I highly doubt anyone on Thai Visa has ever been to Mong La or knew where it was, until I made this post.

Never assume. I traveled with my Thai girlfriend and drove my truck from Chiang Mai, crossed into Myanmar at Tachilak and continued to Mong La in 2007. At the time it was one of the only routes one was able to travel crossing from Thailand. Highly regulated and controlled. One could go as far as Mong La and return. Mong La was a large casino area until the Chinese government closed the border. It was already closed when I was there in 2007. Quite a few people later made that trip in organized caravans and also the Thailand BMW Motorcycle club was allowed in. I am not sure of the current restrictions.

If interested, I made a three part trip report with more of the Mong La history and photos. Part 3, the Mong La link available here. The entire report begins here, These reports are 2007 information and an old web format. There are two other trip reports of traveling in Myanmar by motorcycle twice in 2013.

[BuddhistVirus]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

You must have amazing eyes, or we're not looking at the same photo. I can't imagine that anyone could distinguish who is who in that photo taken from far away with most of the women's backs to the photographer. I could possibly see your point if the photographer had got up close and in their faces.

See my edited post. Family members, friends, neighbors, fellow employees can recognize height, weight, clothing, shoes, purses, hair color and style. Especially if you enlarge the photo and utilize photo digital software to clean it up, zoom in and enhance it.

You must be watching way too much CSI... Photo enhancements don't work the way it's depicted in movies/TV shows.

[Kabula]

My intent for posting my first comments and following comments were to make readers aware of the repercussions to posting pictures and writing about said subject and similar subjects on the Internet.

Having lived here for 9 years, 11 years in Costa Rica and a year in Prague, Czech Republic, I've seen and lived the other side of this subject.

More working gals than you think are in counseling for depression, drug addiction, and alcohol abuse. The last thing they need is their photo in a blog or on social media depicting them as a street walker. We don't even know if in fact these ALL were working gals. Perhaps none, but doubtful.

After the evolution of smart phones, social media the suicide statistics are rising among said subjects, especially the damage photos do. One photo that can identify one person on this subject is attached to an email and that message can before forwarded around the world, go viral and end up in newspapers, blogs, face book just to mention a few.

Depending on the content, allegation and graphic image, the sender if identified can be sued, a judgment filed and lose everything.

I've seen marriages fail, engagements cancelled, jobs denied, families torn apart, women denied visas when a better life was on the horizon, women tossed in jail and ending up on the street as their families evicted them from their homes.

Bullies, psychopaths, and sociopaths love sending these photos. They also love writing negative comments on forums, discounting any value to the content.

Understand this, the reason most societies outlaw said subject is because of the harm it does especially today with the Internet, and social media. Not to mention the concern about Ebola spreading through sexual contact by a person who does not even appear to be sick. And yes, all viruses are air born and can be contracted through the moisture in the eyes, nose and mouth.

Governments worldwide have key words that monitor for content posted and near the top of the list today is the subject we are talking about.

Photography is also monitored and passed on to Police and government officials. In view of the fact Immigration here is the Police, the data is passed down and examined. If you get tangled up in this, expect your extension to be denied and possibly black balled.

The more posting of pictures and written articles about this subject, the faster you will see Thailand and other countries pushing the gals off the streets, raising taxes and fines for clubs and cripple the entertainment industry. It is already happening. The first ones to complain are the ones creating the problems.

Last night for the first time in 9 years, I saw Police pushing women along who were standing on the sidewalks doing what they have been doing for decades in the Nana area. It was especially noticeable along Sukhumvit. The Police presence was a bit intense at one point early in the evening and I never heard the Police screaming at people and at traffic before.

Most folks have no idea as to the surveillance technology governments have at their disposal today. Everything is monitored.

Most every face on face book is on a facial recognition data based along with voice recognition. It's all crossed referenced. Most every passport, government ID photo is entered into a facial recognition data base.

After the subject article was posted, no doubt key words alerted an evaluation, then very sophisticated, very expensive government software could have along with facial and voice recognition enhanced the photos and identified the subjects.

Voices are routinely captured on Skype, and social media, the person identified and entered into a voice recognition data base and cross referenced with facial recognition.

The Police department could have been alerted to run the subjects for criminal history and outstanding warrants. If any of the subjects were minors, in some countries, they could be taken from their parents after their intent and history were confirmed.

Also, satellite images are routinely captured in cities and stored on data bases and those imagines can enhance most everything.

When you combine all the technology and connect the dots, they know a lot more than you think.

So, for the clowns who think they know it all, keep it up and destroy everything and put yourself and your family at risk along with all your victims.

If you have invested money in a web site and post similar photos that will be the starting point for a witch hunt and they will shut it down and if you have any graphic images of minors on your hard drive you will be arrested.

Even if you are innocent people do get arrested from time to time, charged and have to spend small fortunes to stay out of prison and defend their innocence.

Some of the unfortunate souls, even innocent, die while incarcerated as other prisoners like to do a beat down on suspected pedophiles.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Kabula

[waynethor]

My intent for posting my first comments and following comments were to make readers aware of the repercussions to posting pictures and writing about said subject and similar subjects on the Internet.

Having lived here for 9 years, 11 years in Costa Rica and a year in Prague, Czech Republic, I've seen and lived the other side of this subject.

More working gals than you think are in counseling for depression, drug addiction, and alcohol abuse. The last thing they need is their photo in a blog or on social media depicting them as a street walker. We don't even know if in fact these ALL were working gals. Perhaps none, but doubtful.

After the evolution of smart phones, social media the suicide statistics are rising among said subjects, especially the damage photos do. One photo that can identify one person on this subject is attached to an email and that message can before forwarded around the world, go viral and end up in newspapers, blogs, face book just to mention a few.

Depending on the content, allegation and graphic image, the sender if identified can be sued, a judgment filed and lose everything.

I've seen marriages fail, engagements cancelled, jobs denied, families torn apart, women denied visas when a better life was on the horizon, women tossed in jail and ending up on the street as their families evicted them from their homes.

Bullies, psychopaths, and sociopaths love sending these photos. They also love writing negative comments on forums, discounting any value to the content.

Understand this, the reason most societies outlaw said subject is because of the harm it does especially today with the Internet, and social media. Not to mention the concern about Ebola spreading through sexual contact by a person who does not even appear to be sick. And yes, all viruses are air born and can be contracted through the moisture in the eyes, nose and mouth.

Governments worldwide have key words that monitor for content posted and near the top of the list today is the subject we are talking about.

Photography is also monitored and passed on to Police and government officials. In view of the fact Immigration here is the Police, the data is passed down and examined. If you get tangled up in this, expect your extension to be denied and possibly black balled.

The more posting of pictures and written articles about this subject, the faster you will see Thailand and other countries pushing the gals off the streets, raising taxes and fines for clubs and cripple the entertainment industry. It is already happening. The first ones to complain are the ones creating the problems.

Last night for the first time in 9 years, I saw Police pushing women along who were standing on the sidewalks doing what they have been doing for decades in the Nana area. It was especially noticeable along Sukhumvit. The Police presence was a bit intense at one point early in the evening and I never heard the Police screaming at people and at traffic before.

Most folks have no idea as to the surveillance technology governments have at their disposal today. Everything is monitored.

Most every face on face book is on a facial recognition data based along with voice recognition. It's all crossed referenced. Most every passport, government ID photo is entered into a facial recognition data base.

After the subject article was posted, no doubt key words alerted an evaluation, then very sophisticated, very expensive government software could have along with facial and voice recognition enhanced the photos and identified the subjects.

Voices are routinely captured on Skype, and social media, the person identified and entered into a voice recognition data base and cross referenced with facial recognition.

The Police department could have been alerted to run the subjects for criminal history and outstanding warrants. If any of the subjects were minors, in some countries, they could be taken from their parents after their intent and history were confirmed.

Also, satellite images are routinely captured in cities and stored on data bases and those imagines can enhance most everything.

When you combine all the technology and connect the dots, they know a lot more than you think.

So, for the clowns who think they know it all, keep it up and destroy everything and put yourself and your family at risk along with all your victims.

If you have invested money in a web site and post similar photos that will be the starting point for a witch hunt and they will shut it down and if you have any graphic images of minors on your hard drive you will be arrested.

Even if you are innocent people do get arrested from time to time, charged and have to spend small fortunes to stay out of prison and defend their innocence.

Some of the unfortunate souls, even innocent, die while incarcerated as other prisoners like to do a beat down on suspected pedophiles.

That's certainly grown hugely from ranting about a photo where nobody was distinguishable. You seem to indicate that you've been deeply and heavily involved in the world of prostitution, so perhaps you have strong personal feelings about it and overreacted in your first post. ("Having lived here for 9 years, 11 years in Costa Rica and a year in Prague, Czech Republic, I've seen and lived the other side of this subject.")

But I find it hard to believe that any government agencies are going to spend huge amounts of time and money employing their most sophisticated equipment and most qualified experts to find out who's a hooker. They are smart enough to know there are hookers and always will be regardless of what any gov't agencies do.

You also go into the the damaging aspects of prostitution, and I doubt anyone who ridiculed your original rant would argue that point. We weren't discussing that at all, so don't try to shove it our faces and hint at the idea that we should now be ashamed of ourselves for ridiculing you. I'm sure we all have sympathy for women who fall victim to drug abuse and other problems caused primarily by the the environment of prostitution.

I suggest you go find an appropriate place for your rant. Look for a situation where somebody's poor journalistic judgement has actually jeopardized some ladies of the night. I'm sure your intentions are good, but when you blast the wrong people, nothing is accomplished.

[Tomtomtom69]

TomTomTom69

Anyway, I highly doubt anyone on Thai Visa has ever been to Mong La or knew where it was, until I made this post.

Never assume. I traveled with my Thai girlfriend and drove my truck from Chiang Mai, crossed into Myanmar at Tachilak and continued to Mong La in 2007. At the time it was one of the only routes one was able to travel crossing from Thailand. Highly regulated and controlled. One could go as far as Mong La and return. Mong La was a large casino area until the Chinese government closed the border. It was already closed when I was there in 2007. Quite a few people later made that trip in organized caravans and also the Thailand BMW Motorcycle club was allowed in. I am not sure of the current restrictions.

If interested, I made a three part trip report with more of the Mong La history and photos. Part 3, the Mong La link available here. The entire report begins here, These reports are 2007 information and an old web format. There are two other trip reports of traveling in Myanmar by motorcycle twice in 2013.

Ah, there's always one. But unfortunately there are a lot of misinformed TV users, that's all, hence my comment (and I also wanted to steer the discussion away from the pointless drivel you can probably make out from some of the comments above). It's just become tiring reading nonsense reports about visa runners going to Mae Sot or Mae Sai, talking about "how you can't continue" or "can't use a visa" when in fact since just over a year you most certainly can. But those border runners were never interested in going further, because their intention was only ever to cross for 1 minute to get a stamp and then back into Thailand to activate a new entry.

Back on topic.

My understanding is you can currently travel to Mong La as follows: with a Burmese visa in your passport, from Tachilek and back as you did - you can then catch a flight from Kengtung or Tachilek to other parts of Myanmar. According to a local I spoke to in Tachilek, Thai cars can currently no longer travel much further than the outskirts of Tachilek in order to protect the revenue of local transport operators. It sucks, but then again the Thais have never permitted Burmese vehicles to travel south or east of Mae Sai either. Hopefully both countries will get a grip and drop these ridiculous restrictions by the time AEC 2015 begins.

Or you can still go to Mong La on the 14-day border pass, the same way as you did but this time without your own vehicle. You'll probably need to hire a vehicle with a guide, or you can catch a bus to Kengtung and then find a ride from there.

I believe it's also possible to visit there on an organized caravan, driving your own car or motorcycle, which most likely would also be heading to or coming from other restricted areas, but you'd have to get in touch with the caravan operators or ask MTT for permission to conduct a DIY tour, most likely with one of their guides tagging along.

Anyway I would be more than happy to look at your report and photos.

[Tomtomtom69]

TomTomTom69

Anyway, I highly doubt anyone on Thai Visa has ever been to Mong La or knew where it was, until I made this post.

Never assume. I traveled with my Thai girlfriend and drove my truck from Chiang Mai, crossed into Myanmar at Tachilak and continued to Mong La in 2007. At the time it was one of the only routes one was able to travel crossing from Thailand. Highly regulated and controlled. One could go as far as Mong La and return. Mong La was a large casino area until the Chinese government closed the border. It was already closed when I was there in 2007. Quite a few people later made that trip in organized caravans and also the Thailand BMW Motorcycle club was allowed in. I am not sure of the current restrictions.

If interested, I made a three part trip report with more of the Mong La history and photos. Part 3, the Mong La link available here. The entire report begins here, These reports are 2007 information and an old web format. There are two other trip reports of traveling in Myanmar by motorcycle twice in 2013.

Just read your report - fascinating. I think you should be put in a hall of fame for being one of the few foreigners (Thais included) who managed to drive their own vehicle through eastern Shan State to Mong La, lol. I think the number of people who've done that trip, driving their own cars could be counted on two hands.

Nowadays motorcycle and car caravan tours taking in Myanmar are becoming more and more common and I personally saw one motorcycle caravan tour in January 2013 taking place with mostly Singaporean and Malaysian registered bikes heading into Myanmar via Mae Sot. In November, 2 Russian registered cars re-entered Thailand after having driven throughout Myanmar (they had crossed into Myanmar at Kawthoung). Last year I went to Mae Sot about 20 times and out of the 9 times I crossed into Myanmar at Myawady, all were last year. The last 3 entries were made using a Myanmar visa, so I travelled to Hpa-an and even Yangon, taking in the Dawna pass and Kayin state. I saw two more caravan tours, including one which entered Myanmar on the same day I did and another (or was it the same one?) heading in the opposite direction to where I was going near Bago a few days later, in October. That one I was aware of and was advertised in the Bangkok Post (featuring Thai registered cars and motorcycles).

When I went to Muse on the Chinese border, travelling overland from Hpa-an via Mandalay in a hired car with 2 drivers and a friend last April, it was interesting to see the changes in topography and mix of cultures one encountered along the 10-hour drive from Mandalay. Contrary to what I was expecting, there wasn't much Chinese influence anywhere along the road, not even in Muse itself. Also, unlike in Laos, there were no foreign registered vehicles driving along it's highways, not even 1. That's because they aren't allowed except if on a tour, most of which originate in Thailand or India. The only Chinese vehicles I saw were in Muse itself, but they were restricted from leaving town.

As mentioned in another reply, Muse is mostly a Burmese border town, with naturally some Chinese elements due to being a border town, but by and large it's inhabitants are a mixture of Shan (Tai-Yai), Burmese and some Chinese traders but the feeling was still overwhelmingly Burmese. Although I didn't spot a single other non-Chinese foreigner in town (well the place just opened up when I passed through meaning no permit was required to visit anymore if coming from Mandalay), I was informed about small numbers of foreigners who have passed through and come since; it certainly didn't feel like we were the only foreigners to have visited there (unlike what you mentioned in your blog about your 2007 visit to Mong La). So in that sense it didn't have any sort of "pioneering" feeling to it - the locals at restaurants etc. were eager to serve us and did so very well, but without too much fanfare. Some of the Shan people at the border, mostly moneychangers, were curious about me, but that's about it.

Being quite familiar with Myanmar I also felt quite comfortable with everything and being able to speak some Chinese, which was barely necessary since only some of the townsfolk could speak it but hotel staff and immigration etc. were able to speak English quite well meant that communication was not an issue either. Of course our drivers could always assist but they were generally tired after a long day's driving so we were left to our own devices in the evening, wondering the town's dimly lit streets and went for a foot massage after dinner.

Differences with Mong La (from what you described):

Kyat and Yuan can be used equally in Muse, with US Dollars useful (though not necessary) for hotels. In general, like most of the rest of the country you can now pay for nearly everything in Kyat. Prices tend to be quoted only in Kyat, except for hotels which may be quoted in dollars. In Tachilek by contrast, nearly everything is in Baht and despite having 2 ATMs that dispense only Kyat, if you find yourself with Kyat many of the locals there would really prefer you used Baht. That was my experience back in April when I went there - I exchanged some Kyat but found at least one vendor was reluctant to take them but in the end accepted them.

All the action, including women, KTV, nightclubs, booze, underground gambling etc. are in neighboring Ruili, across the border in China. So unless you are starting or ending your journey in Muse (once the border opens up officially), there's no reason to come specifically there; it's mostly going to be a staging post for onward transport into Myanmar than a destination in it's own right. Mong La appears to be more of a "destination" in that all the vices are there, rather than on the Chinese side. However, as you have noted the casinos are gone, which is much the same as in Boten, on the Sino-Lao border that has turned into a Chinese ghost town less than 1km from the Chinese border.

Townsfolk in Muse speak Burmese, Shan and perhaps a little English. Some traders speak Chinese and there are some Chinese signs, but not that many, certainly not compared to the situation in Mong La or in Boten, where virtually everything is Chinese. I was even able to communicate with one Shan lady in Thai (she was a moneychanger), which was nice as I was able to count my money with her in Thai. It seems that Shan and Thai numbers must be the same or very similar, because that lady was clearly speaking Shan and I was speaking Thai with her (with a bit of Lao/northern Thai mixed in) but we were able to understand each other.

Otherwise, I think by the sounds of it both border towns are curious places for first-time foreign visitors, but the real attraction is the drive there, not so much the towns themselves as they are both quite boring. Still, it's worth saying you've been and I'm keen to head to Mong La myself, though I'd prefer to wait until the border with China re-opens as it would make the whole journey much more worthwhile and interesting.

Edited September 3, 2014 by Tomtomtom69

[Showbags]

Think Kabula been watching to much 24

[silverhawk_usa]

TomTomTom69

Interesting comments and observations. I am familiar with both the Malaysian motorcycle group and the one appearing in Bangkok post. I was in a group of 6 friends who entered approximately the same time, January 2013. They were the first and second groups allowed to enter, and we were asked to delay our trip a week or so to be the third. We passed the Malaysian's on the road as they were returning so I may have been with the other group you saw. I returned in December 2013 and rode to Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. Reports on the same website as my above post.

I have also traveled extensively by motorcycle in Laos and Vietnam and have photos of Boten when it was just a small border crossing with thatched roof shops, and then later as the Chinese helped create another extravagant ghost town. Relating this to the original post, it just shows history repeats itself and what is now being reported has been going on for decades.

[lust]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

Government photo facial recognition software can zoom in, and make images crystal clear and can identify the women in the picture. Now they can be identified by ears alone.

You might also be subjecting these women to jail and fines.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

yabba's a hell of a drug

[Tomtomtom69]

TomTomTom69

Interesting comments and observations. I am familiar with both the Malaysian motorcycle group and the one appearing in Bangkok post. I was in a group of 6 friends who entered approximately the same time, January 2013. They were the first and second groups allowed to enter, and we were asked to delay our trip a week or so to be the third. We passed the Malaysian's on the road as they were returning so I may have been with the other group you saw. I returned in December 2013 and rode to Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. Reports on the same website as my above post.

I have also traveled extensively by motorcycle in Laos and Vietnam and have photos of Boten when it was just a small border crossing with thatched roof shops, and then later as the Chinese helped create another extravagant ghost town. Relating this to the original post, it just shows history repeats itself and what is now being reported has been going on for decades.

I saw the Malaysians crossing over to Myawady on the 7th or 8th of January if I remember correctly. I saw them on both sides of the border and spoke to a Singaporean member of the group at the border crossing. So by the sounds of it you must have gone over mid-January?

The group I saw near Bago was towards the end of last year. Perhaps that's when I saw you passing our car!

[NativeSon360]

Your photo disgusts me!

Grow up!

Think for a moment how you can destroy a women's life with an ignorant, thoughtless act by being recognized on the Internet with your photo and post by her family, her neighbors, or fellow employees at another job.

Perhaps she is earning money to further her education and after years of studying is denied a government job because of your photo/s that came up on a Google Image Search years later.

Did you know that some governments keep a data base of known Prostitutes and when their visa applications are examined, are denied because of their Prostitution history.

Government photo facial recognition software can zoom in, and make images crystal clear and can identify the women in the picture. Now they can be identified by ears alone.

You might also be subjecting these women to jail and fines.

I wonder how many Immigration Officers have seen this post and can't wait to deny another Alien an extension.

Stop being a jerk and take this photo down now and any others you may have posted. It may already be too late.

Exactamundo!