Job Discussion Forums

[Monkey king]

I am currently considering a few positions in S E Asia and wondered about what life is like or expats livingi n Myanmar.

I'd be interested to know from people who have lived and worked there about a few of these things:

1. I heard the place shuts down at 9 pm. Is that true?

2. What sorts of things are hard or impossible to buy? (i.e. good razors, deoderant etc.)

3. I've heard you have to bring pristine conditons American dollars into the country, that it is impossible to use credit cards, and ATMs may be a problem. Ist this true?

4. How much control over the general population and expats does the military exercise?

5. Can you buy English books and DVDs there?

6. What is the internet connection like?

7. Recommendations for nice food and drinks.

8. Is the population very conservative?

9. Can you get medicines easily? (i.e. ventolin, hayfever)

10. Anything else, you'd like to tell me.

I'm well travelled and have lived in other countries for extended periods of time. I'm pretty tolerant of other people's lifestyles, I just want to be prepared for any surprises.

Thanks for any information you can give.

P.S. This site should start a separate forum for Laos and Myanmar, I think you'll be hearing more and more about these places in the future.

[7969]

I've been to the country twice, 2003 and 2012, and can answer a couple of questions.

[Monkey king]

Well, I'm heading to Myanmar on Thursday so I'll be able to answer my own questions soon.

I'll be in Yangon, if anyone is in the area.

[Astian]

[simon44]

I've worked as a teacher in Myanmar since 2011, so here are my comments to your questions:

1. I heard the place shuts down at 9 pm. Is that true?
Generally, but you can always find nightclubs that stay open later. I keep away from the expat scene and my local area is dead by 9pm. BTW, there generally are not any beer bars, open bars, street-front bars, bar-girls etc on display in Yangon. It's similar to Vientiane but more conservative.

2. What sorts of things are hard or impossible to buy? (i.e. good razors, deoderant etc.)
Many things! Despite the easing of sanctions, there are many common international brands that are not yet imported. Of course, if you go shopping in an expat supermarket then you'll find lots of things, but at a high price.

The last time I saw a decent western cheese was about 4 months ago...


3. I've heard you have to bring pristine conditons American dollars into the country, that it is impossible to use credit cards, and ATMs may be a problem. Ist this true?
Bring pristine USD if you need to change them. ATM machines are now installed in Yangon and Mandalay, and I use these to get money from my local bank account. But do not rely on them being reliable for getting money from a foreign bank account. (If the ATM eats your foreign ATM card then you are somewhat fcuked if you do not have local currency or USD).

Credit cards generally cannot be used yet, except at 5-star hotels.



4. How much control over the general population and expats does the military exercise?

I think from visual experience that the military have huge control over the local population. As a foreigner, so long as you do not involve yourself in politics or religious proslytising (spelling?), then you will be left alone.

5. Can you buy English books and DVDs there?
You can buy English teaching books and you can buy second-hand English books from the street-sellers. You can buy DVD copies off the street, but they sometimes only offer Russian or Korean sound-tracks!


6. What is the internet connection like?
Usually terrible, sometimes completely non-existent. Traders Hotel has fastish wi-fi if you buy a $5 coffee in their lounge.

But forget video streaming, YouTube etc.

7. Recommendations for nice food and drinks.
IMHO Myanmar beer is paradise and Burmese food is hell. I usually eat Chinese food.


8. Is the population very conservative?
Yes. Having said that, it's easy to find er .. night company, if you ask the taxi driver.

9. Can you get medicines easily? (i.e. ventolin, hayfever)
The hospitals are very understaffed and lack equipments, but there are many local pharmacies which seem to stock most common medicines.

Simon

[Monkey king]

I've been here a week and a half now so here is my take:

Mobile phones - very, very expensive but next month they will be cheaper.

Internet - very, very slow. Even checking emails/ chatting can be a chore. I have found Traders though. That is where I am now. Otherwise it is almost a deal-breaker in terms of staying here for a long time.

People - very friendly. It is very safe here. They tell you to be careful of thieves but no one I know has lost anything yet. The taxi drivers are wising up though and try to swindle a few extra bucks out of you.

Myanmar beer is great. I recommend trying some on your visit.

Burmese food is oily. After a couple of days, you definately will be looking for something else just to unclog the system. Shan food is nice though and there are plenty of other options.

Bring your own medicines from Thailand or elsewhere. Get good insurance. There are no ambulances here from what I have heard.

I'm still looking for nail clippers after I lost mine at the airport due to careless packing.

The one English book shop sell many books about learning Polish but nothing about learning Burmese

Watch out for the water though. Only drink bottled water.

Some other good places: 50th Street Bar and Grill; Coffer Circle; Friendship Bar.

[7969]

Touts at every tourist site are selling copies of "Burmese Days" if that strikes your fancy

Actually great reading for anyone visiting or living in Burma.

[Bat_Guano]

Recent rioting / looting / burning of houses and mosques in the central Mandalay province of Myanmar, with at least 40 people reported killed... a couple of shopping areas / markets in Yangon were also shuttered in anticipation of possible looting or violence. Welcome to Myanmar, a peaceful and harmonious place, where everyone just wants to buy their neighbor a Coke...and then smash the bottle over his skull and set his house ablaze, depending on the relative religion or ethnic origins of said neighbor...

http://news.yahoo.com/muslims-vanish-buddhist-attacks-approach-myanmars-biggest-city-034801049.html

[JSutt]

Any information available from expats in Myanmar about the situation? Are things calming down or is this just a precursor to further unrest?

[Bat_Guano]

Based on my experience living in a place with tight governmental controls on information generally and internet censorship specifically (Xinjiang UAR), I'd guess that, one, members of this forum living in Myanmar now have very restricted access to information about what's happening (if they can't see it with their own eyes or hear it by word-of-mouth), and two, their ability to comment on events there on the 'net may be strongly controlled, or they might just feel a wisser choice not to do so... as in "Rule # One about the Problem in Place X, is there is no Problem in Place X".

[Monkey king]

Ok, so we did have some information about the recent problems.

I am in Yangon so it did not really impact my area.
I work for Muslims too and they did not seem too worried.
We did have a curfew so places closed at 9 pm or 10 pm.
Most of Myanmar shuts down around then anyway but it did impact those who went to the night clubs that stay open longer.
There was an increase in police presence but it did not bother me as I was not doing anything wrong.

The internet is a deal-breaker for me as far a working here long-term.
The best place is at Trader's Hotel but even there it is not as good as it should be.
Elsewhere, it is just painful.
You can check emails and chat but downloading is a long process that draws the ire of others because they think you're using up their bandwidth.
Forget streaming or browser games.

Mobile phones were supposed to be cheaper now but they are rare (at least when a friend checked).

The Water Festival was fun but it was impossible not to get wet.
We were trapped in our house for 5 days with no access to shops and minimal access to restaurants.
Going out involved getting soaked, which we did but it was a little annoying at times.

Burmese food is sooooo oily. After a month of it, I am trying to find other options. The oil they use really clogs up the pipes so to speak. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in oil after eating.

Burmese people are very friendly though. I hope the increases in tourism does not change that. They typically try to be helpful and want you to have a good impression during your stay in Myanmar.

Burmese men do not really like foreigners talking to or dating Burmese women though. They can be very protective and often scold the women involved. I'm not sure if they feel the same about Burmese men dating foreign women though. I have heard of some successful relationships though so it is not impossible.

[JSutt]

Thanks for the info. I didn't imagine it would affect foreigners too much - inter-group conflict usually isn't a problem for people who aren't directly involved. The food sounds like a problem though, especially after living in Thailand and Vietnam...! Sounds like an interesting place to be, regardless.

[Monkey king]

The food is a major problem.

I have a group of about 25 co-workers.
Over the last 6 weeks, we have all had food poisoning.
Some even went to hospital.
I seemed to have got off lightly.

The food here is very, very uninspiring.
Eating has become something you do because you have to rather than you want to.
Even when not sick, I (and others) have this general feeling of 'blah' that has made eating less enjoyable.

I am not a stranger to weird food and can eat just about everything.
I was also taking Travelan regularly and consider myself to have an iron stomach.
But the food here has beaten me and I am off to work in Vietnam or Thailand soon in the hopes of finding my love of food again.

[bentanddisfunctional]

MonkeyKing

Beaten by the food and exit stage left.......

And yet another teacher in Myanmar bites the dust

Judging by your posts you lasted 6 weeks at Horizon before succumbing to the slow internet and dodgy food

Not sure where your from but good luck elsewhere

[wailing_imam]

I am going to Yangon soon, but only for 3 nights.

Is the food really awful?

Can you recommend anywhere good to eat?