Naypyidaw | Exploring Myanmar's bizarre empty capital by drone | Coconuts TV

[Jonathan Fairfield]

[stoneyboy]

Looks like it's easy to get around and hassle free finding a hotel.

[marioc]

Interesting!

Thank you!

[callaway]

Great stuff

[off road pat]

Very Interesting, THX for posting it

[ggt]

Thanks...that was both entertaining and informative...learned something new today...thanks to you...

Drones have taken video to a whole new level...being able to see the world from above the canopy is a wonderful new adventure...

Please do bring us more...

[mankondang]

Excellent video of the new capital. It was built by the military....but the country holds elections now. Hope for us still?

[Coota]

Thanks, amazing.

[swissbie]

I really enjoyed this one, very impressive. I didn't expect it that empty. A completely other world than Yangon. Looks nice, but what a waste of (elsewhere urgently needed) money.

[sanukjim]

Great Video. Thank You

[Absolut]

The Top Gear guys managed to get in there when they did one of their specials, looks just as deserted a year on.

You can't help but wonder what the future hold for this new capital, will the newly elected government actually start to use it, will people start utilising the hotels or will it simply fall into ruin over the next decade or two.

It certainly would be interesting to visit. An empty 20 lane road would be a blast to drive down.

[LALes]

A Burmese lady told me the Capital was built with dozens of secret underground passageways to shuttle the ruling junta and their cronies to safety in case of an uprising. The whole purpose of Naypiyataw is isolation and protection of an unpopular military government, which had become increasingly difficult in Yangon.

[flyingdoc]

I understood that the new Capital was built on the advice of an astrologer to the Senior General, suggesting that a brand new Capital 350 Km North of Yangon, would not be vulnerable to an attack by sea. Passing it a few months ago, it really is a white elephant, and despised by every single person I talked to !

[flyingdoc]

I also understand that no foreigners are allowed to visit any of the Government buildings !

[manarak]

it's worth a look on google earth!

as usual with coconuts though, many claims are just sensationalism, for example the "footprint larger than Berlin"

or the "runway" - the road is way too short for even smaller private planes to takeoff, for example gulfstreams or falcons.

[TPI]

Thanks for the video!!

[siam2007]

I passed along Naypitaw in 2011, when the transition of the country had just started, while on board of a Night Bus between Yangon and Mandalay. From afar you could see all the surreal illuminated buildings and one giant Pagoda. a really weird experience.

But I believe that the new (elected!) government should actually make use of the buildings and infrastructure - because it has already been built so there is no reason to tear it down again. In the situation Myanmar is, it pays to be pragmatic, me thinks.

A huge international Airport there too....

[Tomtomtom69]

I also understand that no foreigners are allowed to visit any of the Government buildings !

Not true anymore, I think that was the case at the beginning but has since changed. Now they are even promoting visits to such buildings for foreign tourists, according to an article I read some months back on one of the Myanmar news websites, might have been MMtimes.com or Irrawaddy, can't remember which one.