Myanmar Jan2025 general observations

Myanmar Jan2025 general observations
Various general impressions of Jan2025 visit to Myanmar (Mandalay, Bagan, Yangon). Previous see here: https://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2017/08/myanmar-aug-2017-various-impressions.html

My last trip to Myanmar was in Dec2019 and I wanted to go back as soon as possible. However Covid, military coup, extension of civil war, and unreasonable entry restrictions (until 1mar2024, health insurance to cover Covid was required) delayed a return. There is still a travel warning. But now, only a barrel of a gun directed at me or a landmine can stop me.

from: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/myanmar see here as well https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/myanmar

To prepare for this trip, I read on Myanmar (Burma) Backpacker/Traveller Information https://web.facebook.com/groups/753280981443923

Bus in Yangon
Yangon has a good bus network, “Yangon City Bus” app has an English version and has lines and stops. Lines with numbers over 99 are not in the app. Their website https://ygnbusdirectory.com/ only up to line 75. The buses are frequent. Most bus stops have a shelter with number of lines (only in Burmese numerals), few stops no sign, but you see other people waiting there. Some buses numbers only in Burmese numerals. Fare is 400 MMK, with digital payment 350. Only few buses at night. The app gives directions only bus stop to bus stop, a bit inconvenient. Buses from Japan and Korea, often with original signs left. Some busses originally had aircon, now broken and windows open, but when standing at a red traffic light it gets hot inside.

Recommended when you can get to your destination without change of bus and can get in at start of line. The buses quickly become full and not just standing, but cramped. Breaking and even accelerating is fast, everyone gets shoved around. Apart from the inconvenience, difficult to see where you are and to follow trip on google maps to get off at right stop. Few buses after sunset.

No public transport in Mandalay or Bagan (Nyaung-U).

Climate and weather
In January, there was nice weather in all places I went (Mandalay, Bagan, Yangon). It was sunny throughout, I gradually increased exposure to sun and didn't get sunburn.

But in hot season it must be awfully hot, and rainy season is awful as well (own observation, confirmed by friends). Unlike Thailand where you have one quick downpour in the evening, the rain can last for hours or days, just like in England.

In Myanmar, it's dark at night.
For lack of electricity, there is no or limited street light and little light from houses. Only a few main roads in Mandalay and Yangon have light at night. Light from passing cars and mocy is not helpful (the change between light and dark rather a nuisance), I went with my flashlight.

This picture is in downtown Yangon, Sule Pagoda in back. There was a festival for Chinese New Year, that's why there are so many people. But despite festival, no street light (and no light from buildings either, except two who have a generator).

At 6 pm, public parks close and attendants drive visitor out by blowing whistle and arm movements.
 
In Bagan, I went stargazing at night. Beware of un-illuminated dogs and mocy when driving around at night on an a dark road!

When I arrived at Aung Mingala Highway Bus Terminal in Yangon at night, even that had no light.

After sunset, very little activity on the roads for lack of light and other reasons: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/yangon-mandalay-deserted-after-dark-as-myanmar-junta-hunts-for-conscripts.html 16dec2024 Yangon, Mandalay Deserted After Dark as Myanmar Junta Hunts for Conscripts

Electricity
As before, for sensitive electrical equipment (aircon and fridge), there are protection boxes for over- and under voltage. New are long power cuts, 4 hours on and 8 hours off. Even those 4 hours are often cut short. https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/worsening-power-cuts-plunge-myanmars-cities-into-darkness.html Worsening Power Cuts Plunge Myanmar’s Cities Into Darkness January 8, 2025

Hotels and businesses who can afford, have generators (petrol or diesel depending on size) in front. Even the generators labelled as “silent” make noise to hear across the road. Many times did I experience power cuts, and it takes about 10 seconds for the hotel's generator to supply electricity.

Food
Food I see displayed did not appeal to me (I associate the red and brown colors with chili and red meat which I'm not a fan of, the following picture leaves only the yellow and green to have a closer look), and most places do not have an English menu, and google translate does not work well for menus. Some days, I had to pass a first and second restaurant for lack of English menu or someone speaking English or seeing something I like and could eat only at the third. Cheaper than Thailand or Cambodia, can get a decent meal for less than 1 USD.

Before Covid, I went to several Italian restaurants and had good meals there. They are all closed now. Finding and trying current Italian restaurants would be another research project.

Google maps
Google maps has poor coverage, a lot of information is outdated and new places are missing, and there are only few and old streetview.

Hotels
Can easily be booked online. I booked my first two nights online and afterwards walk-in for cheaper prices (see money exchange). Prices are now lower than in Thailand, I got decent hotels for 20 USD/night including breakfast buffet.

Inflation
In 2019, I exchanged 1 EUR = 1700 MMK, now 4600. Bus was 200 MMK before Covid, now 400. Expected tip for 1 hour massage with happy ending was 20k, now 30k. As a rough estimate, over 5 years internal inflation 200%, external 300%.

For future reference here petrol prices Feb2025 at Petro K:
92 3180, 95 3260, D 2820, PD 4585 (Premium Diesel).

The highest banknote in circulation is 10k MMK, worth about 2 EUR. A 20k MMK note has been printed, but is not in circulation.
Junta’s New Banknote Sparks Inflation Panic in Myanmar, Again July 25, 2023 https://www.irrawaddy.com/business/juntas-new-banknote-sparks-inflation-panic-in-myanmar-again.html

Internet
Many websites (Facebook, Instagram) are blocked. Easy to circumvent by VPN, but takes time to connect and disconnect, advertising on free VPN apps acceptable. Some apps don't work with VPN. Both mobile data and WiFi in hotel are slow, videos often stops, and even pictures take seconds to load. Delays in receiving messages. Some websites or pictures do not load for time out.

Language
Poor English. I go to a massage place or restaurant, and among five staff, they know five words of English. Pronunciation not clear. Most communication that I report in next posts is guesswork.

Burmese numerals are widely used: boys have time on their mobile phone and price for grab in Burmese numerals, and bus stations have bus lines only in Burmese numerals, most buses Burmese and Arabic.

Sometimes children approach me and say the one English sentence they know, which is either “I love you.” or “Fuck you.” (Is that the opposite or the same?)

Laundry
Unlike Thailand and Cambodia, laundry services are not widely available. In 2019, I used “The Metro, Dry Cleaning & Laundry” in Latha street, permanently closed.

My hotel in Yangon charges 3.50 USD (!!!) for a T-shirt. “Shine Professional Dry Clean & Laundry Services” in Junction City charges 4500 for a T-shirt. Finally I found a place: “DJ Laundry Service” in 36th street, receptionist lady speaks good English. T-shirt 600, long sleeve 700, jeans 1000.

Thante Hotel Nyaung-U (Bagan) charges 1k for a T-shirt and I had my laundry done there.

I have detergent to wash myself in emergency situations, but I rather walk 20 min and pay to have someone else do my laundry.

Longyi
The traditional Myanmar clothing Longyi is the most impractical piece of clothing I know of. It has no pockets. It gets loose and you often see locals re-arrange the knot. Men have to sit down to pee. No groping (there is no way to get your hand in/under a longyi; whereas with shorts you could easily move your hand from knee up). Longyi is a tube, you step into it; not a sheet of fabric.

Military dicatorship
Stops at various checkpoints when traveling overland. In town checkpoints as well but only for observation of passing traffic. I noticed soldiers have different kinds of rifle. Bus from Bagan to Yangon was stuck in traffic jam half an hour at a checkpoint when entering Yangon. Road in front of Central Bank is blocked for traffic. This is a main road, detour for everyone. Locals can pass on foot, but I wasn't even allowed to pass on foot. I thought about going to Golden Rock, and a friend said bus might not take me as a passenger because it will take longer to process me at checkpoints.

Some people quote ethical reasons not to go to Myanmar as long as there are human right violations on large scale. Others say going there supports individuals who are dependent on tourism. For me, it's mainly a question if I can do my business (sightseeing and boys).

Money exchange
Currency is Myanmar Kyat MMK. The government sets a rate of 1 EUR = 2200 MMK, at which all online payment and withdrawal at ATM is exchanged. (If withdrawal from ATM and card payments are possible – I did everything in cash). The black-market rate however is 4700 (here and subsequent rounded to 100). The black-market rate can be found on Myanmar Market Price MMP app. For the various times I exchanged money, I got about 100 less than rate on MMP. No coins, only paper money, which I find very convenient.

Exchange rate 1 EUR = 4600 MMK, 1 USD = 4500 MMK, 1 THB = 130 MMK. As most prices are multiples of 1000 MMK, I abbreviate 20,000 MMK = 20k.

MMK is traded in Bangkok in larger money exchanges. I went to Pratunam and all Superrich had the same exchange rate: Buy 0.004, Sell 0.008. That's a huge spread, however it is unsymmetrical, the loss is when you sell MMK. But I was buying, 1000 THB to 125k MMK, equivalent to 1 EUR = 4450 MMK.

I got a recommendation for money exchange in Mandalay from my hotel and went there. A surreal experience. The shopfront was shuttered and no signs of life, but a large sign “OPEN” was hanging outside, and when I went close, someone let me in. The board with exchange rates displayed a rate of 1 EUR = 3600 MMK, but when I asked for exchange rate for EUR, he showed me 4600 on a pocket calculator. Then the electricity went off, the board on wall went dark (LED) and ceiling light off, but still enough light through glass door to see what is going on. I hadn't taken out my EUR yet, so figured that electricity cut is genuine and not part of a scam and went through with the exchange.

There are no money exchanges in Bagan, you would have to ask around and get a poor rate.

In Yangon, my hotel would exchange at 4200. A money exchange has a rate of 3600 displayed, and that printout has a date of July 2024, and they offered me 4500. 

Beware of people who approach you in areas with money exchanges. They ask if you want to exchange money and offer rates of up to 5000, wave wads of MMK notes at you, refer to their nearby exchange bureau. Common sense and a few reports on the internet say these are scammers.

Hotels and tour agencies quote prices in MMK and USD and accept payment in USD.

Poverty
There are a lot of homeless and adults and children collecting recyclables from waste. You can see children at night with headlights (for lack of electricity no street light) rummaging through garbage and carrying bags with recyclables that are as big as they are.

Even in Yangon, wood is used as fuel and you see people chopping wood.

SIM-card
Other than language barrier, there was no problem buying a SIM-card. The first shop I went, about 10 employees tendered to me but none spoke reasonable English and they had no idea what I wanted either, so I passed. Second shop okay English and he sold me a SIM-card with data for a month (I think it was 15 GB) and calling (but can't send SMS, as I found out later) for 35k. Later asked another customer in my hotel who is a seasoned traveller in Myanmar, card costs about 10k and data 5k, and he recommends getting two cards from different companies to switch when connection is poor.

Taxi
Grab works well in Mandalay (tuktuk) and Yangon (car). Bolt and Uber have no business in Myanmar. Aung Mingala Highway Bus Terminal to Chinatown would have cost 30k8 on grab, but I went with a taxi there for 35k (initial asking price 60k). I had various taxi rides in Yangon, price and comfort similar to Bangkok. There are no mocy in Yangon. It has been like this already in 2017 during my first trip and I find this very pleasant as a pedestrian.

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2024/05/01/with-motorbikes-banned-delivery-riders-struggle-in-heatwave ...a previous junta outlawed two-wheeled motorised vehicles for “security reasons”, ... In this article we have as well data for daily earning: ...an average rider will make between 20,000 and 30,000 Myanmar kyat per day...

And just like most other places in the world, an average daily income for a low-skill work is about the cost of prostitution. Thailand minimum wage 350 THB, street trade 500 THB. Gogo bars in Thailand cater to tourists and are relatively expensive.

Train
Foreigners are not allowed on long-distance trains for safety reasons. When I had a look at Mandalay and Yangon railway station, only few people. Circle train in Yangon would be possible, but I couldn't get an English schedule, and from before Covid I know there are large gaps (up to 2 hours) between the trains. The train service should be more frequent. Buses are cramped throughout the day, there is a demand.

Various
Cars drive on the right side of the road. But most cars are second hand from Japan and Thailand and have the steering wheel on the right side of the car. I observed vaping several times. Goods of daily use often imported from China and Thailand (language on labels). There are a few electrical cars and charging stations.

Visa
Visa can be done online and costs 50 USD and processing took 2 days. Required are a flight in and out and a hotel booking (I submitted hotel booking for first two nights). With all land borders controlled by insurgents, the only way in and out for tourists is by air anyway. https://evisa.moip.gov.mm/tourist/message

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