Burmese inside the country whether they want you there or not the answer is almost always an overwhelming "yes".
If you agree, below is how you can minimize the money you give to the government and maximize the economic benefits for the average Burmese:
1. Don't go on a group tour.
Bus loads of Germans, French and Spanish being ferried around Rangoon is an increasingly common site in Burma nowadays. It shouldn't be. Organized tours in the country invariably include the participation of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism at some stage and therefore generally mean that the Burmese government is making a fairly sizeable percentage. As an independent traveler you are freer to pick and choose where you spend your money, meaning you can avoid putting dollars in the regime's pocket if you so choose.
2. Change money on the black market.
Everybody does it in Burma. Avoid government-run exchange kiosks like the plague-here you'll only get 450 kyat to the dollar compared to more than 1000 kyat on the street. You'll not have too many problems finding to exchange US dollars in Rangoon and Mandalay, just make sure you find out the rate beforehand and be prepared to haggle.
Also, avoid Foreign Exchange Certificates where possible. Previously every foreigner entering the country had to exchange a certain amount of foreign currency for Burma's version of monopoly money, meaning the government was effectively exchanging worthless paper for hard currency. Thankfully, those days are passed. You might though want to change 10 US dollars for the dreaded FEC with a private moneychanger just before you return home to pay the obligatory airport tax, thereby giving the government its own money instead of foreign exchange.
3. Stay in non-government hotels.
This is a tricky one. Many hotels are either wholly owned by the government or by businessmen that have carved out a living by appeasing the regime or by foreign investors that have tolerated it. That doesn't leave many options but you can still make a difference by avoiding hotels owned by the government-many are singled out in guide books, including Lonely Planet Burma. There are also safety concerns that apply here too. Some underground groups that oppose the government have singled out foreign investors in Burma's tourism industry for attacks in recent years, another reason to avoid the often expensive foreign-owned hotels. In 2005, a small explosive device was detonated outside Traders Hotel in Rangoon-which is run by a Singaporean company-just six months after a French-run café only a few hundred yards away was also targeted. No-one was seriously injured in either incident, but the message is clear-the tourism industry has become a target.
4. Eat in street cafes or teashops.
Some may look a little grimy by western standards but the food is usually delicious and there is no better way to get the full Burmese experience than lunch at a tea shop. For years, the government has failed to collect tax from many sectors of Burmese society including the humble teashop, meaning many have been able to keep costs down and avoid paying part of their profit to the government. Although this is changing as the regime has sought to increase its revenue in the face of bankruptcy, still many seem to have escaped paying sales tax to the government. You can too.
5. Travel by taxi or rickshaw.
Travel by taxi rather than train in particular and airlines, including the domestic government-run Myanma Airways, means you'll almost certainly be putting money in the pockets of your average Burmese rather than the junta. This however is an expensive option-within city limits its okay of course, or even better by rickshaw, but a one-way taxi from Rangoon to Mandalay, for example, is likely to be somewhere in the region of 175 US dollars. If this is too expensive, the next best option is the bus, a particularly cheap way to travel in Burma. Many lines are privately-run, although some of these are owned by entrepreneurs close to the government. Domestic fliers should be aware that the rapidly expanding Air Bagan is run by the infamous Burmese arms dealer and number one ally of the regime, Tay Za. Similarly, Air Mandalay is a joint venture between Malaysia and Myanma Airways, which, as mentioned above, is run by the government. When flying in and out, non-regime options include Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways and the budget carrier Air Asia.
6. Avoid popular tourist sites.
Here you have to make a difficult choice. If you are hard-line anti-junta you can avoid giving the regime money by avoiding popular tourist sites, including Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda, where entry fees are five dollars, or Bagan, which is double the price. Although some goes towards the upkeep of these sites, most goes directly to the government. This also applies to museums, including the comical Drug Eradication Museum and Armed Forces Museum, both in Rangoon. For many visitors though this option appears to defy the point of going to Burma in the first place. No-one said it would be easy.
7. Don't buy precious stones.
Burma produces the best rubies in the world and the second best sapphires after Kashmir, India, but in buying them you will be paying a ten percent tax and thereby further adding to an already profitable industry for the government. Perhaps a preferred, but highly illegal, alternative is to buy gems on the black market but be beware, a number of foreign visitors have landed themselves in trouble with the Burmese authorities and had stones confiscated.
The ultimate choice, of course, comes to you the traveller so make sure you do your research first.
Isaac Henson - December 2, 2006
If you agree, below is how you can minimize the money you give to the government and maximize the economic benefits for the average Burmese:
1. Don't go on a group tour.
Bus loads of Germans, French and Spanish being ferried around Rangoon is an increasingly common site in Burma nowadays. It shouldn't be. Organized tours in the country invariably include the participation of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism at some stage and therefore generally mean that the Burmese government is making a fairly sizeable percentage. As an independent traveler you are freer to pick and choose where you spend your money, meaning you can avoid putting dollars in the regime's pocket if you so choose.
2. Change money on the black market.
Everybody does it in Burma. Avoid government-run exchange kiosks like the plague-here you'll only get 450 kyat to the dollar compared to more than 1000 kyat on the street. You'll not have too many problems finding to exchange US dollars in Rangoon and Mandalay, just make sure you find out the rate beforehand and be prepared to haggle.
Also, avoid Foreign Exchange Certificates where possible. Previously every foreigner entering the country had to exchange a certain amount of foreign currency for Burma's version of monopoly money, meaning the government was effectively exchanging worthless paper for hard currency. Thankfully, those days are passed. You might though want to change 10 US dollars for the dreaded FEC with a private moneychanger just before you return home to pay the obligatory airport tax, thereby giving the government its own money instead of foreign exchange.
3. Stay in non-government hotels.
This is a tricky one. Many hotels are either wholly owned by the government or by businessmen that have carved out a living by appeasing the regime or by foreign investors that have tolerated it. That doesn't leave many options but you can still make a difference by avoiding hotels owned by the government-many are singled out in guide books, including Lonely Planet Burma. There are also safety concerns that apply here too. Some underground groups that oppose the government have singled out foreign investors in Burma's tourism industry for attacks in recent years, another reason to avoid the often expensive foreign-owned hotels. In 2005, a small explosive device was detonated outside Traders Hotel in Rangoon-which is run by a Singaporean company-just six months after a French-run café only a few hundred yards away was also targeted. No-one was seriously injured in either incident, but the message is clear-the tourism industry has become a target.
4. Eat in street cafes or teashops.
Some may look a little grimy by western standards but the food is usually delicious and there is no better way to get the full Burmese experience than lunch at a tea shop. For years, the government has failed to collect tax from many sectors of Burmese society including the humble teashop, meaning many have been able to keep costs down and avoid paying part of their profit to the government. Although this is changing as the regime has sought to increase its revenue in the face of bankruptcy, still many seem to have escaped paying sales tax to the government. You can too.
5. Travel by taxi or rickshaw.
Travel by taxi rather than train in particular and airlines, including the domestic government-run Myanma Airways, means you'll almost certainly be putting money in the pockets of your average Burmese rather than the junta. This however is an expensive option-within city limits its okay of course, or even better by rickshaw, but a one-way taxi from Rangoon to Mandalay, for example, is likely to be somewhere in the region of 175 US dollars. If this is too expensive, the next best option is the bus, a particularly cheap way to travel in Burma. Many lines are privately-run, although some of these are owned by entrepreneurs close to the government. Domestic fliers should be aware that the rapidly expanding Air Bagan is run by the infamous Burmese arms dealer and number one ally of the regime, Tay Za. Similarly, Air Mandalay is a joint venture between Malaysia and Myanma Airways, which, as mentioned above, is run by the government. When flying in and out, non-regime options include Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways and the budget carrier Air Asia.
6. Avoid popular tourist sites.
Here you have to make a difficult choice. If you are hard-line anti-junta you can avoid giving the regime money by avoiding popular tourist sites, including Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda, where entry fees are five dollars, or Bagan, which is double the price. Although some goes towards the upkeep of these sites, most goes directly to the government. This also applies to museums, including the comical Drug Eradication Museum and Armed Forces Museum, both in Rangoon. For many visitors though this option appears to defy the point of going to Burma in the first place. No-one said it would be easy.
7. Don't buy precious stones.
Burma produces the best rubies in the world and the second best sapphires after Kashmir, India, but in buying them you will be paying a ten percent tax and thereby further adding to an already profitable industry for the government. Perhaps a preferred, but highly illegal, alternative is to buy gems on the black market but be beware, a number of foreign visitors have landed themselves in trouble with the Burmese authorities and had stones confiscated.
The ultimate choice, of course, comes to you the traveller so make sure you do your research first.
Isaac Henson - December 2, 2006
Burma - Should I Go?
Burma (Myanmar) carries considerable political baggage, meaning any potential traveller to the country should do their homework before setting foot inside the country. To begin with, whether you call it Burma or Myanmar has certain implications-although it is called Myanmar inside, outside exiled Burmese still refer to the country as Burma in defiance of the regime's decision to change the country's name to Myanmar in 1989. As a result, the safest option is to call it Myanmar inside and Burma outside.
The most important consideration though for any would-be traveller is making sure the people benefit from your visit in place of the government. This though is not easy and many campaign groups strongly discourage any travel to Burma on the basis that it is impossible not to financially benefit the regime in some way. This is true, however there is another very important point to remember - if you ask an ordinary
The most important consideration though for any would-be traveller is making sure the people benefit from your visit in place of the government. This though is not easy and many campaign groups strongly discourage any travel to Burma on the basis that it is impossible not to financially benefit the regime in some way. This is true, however there is another very important point to remember - if you ask an ordinary
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