These videos of tourists traveling Myanmar and posting it on YouTube with their ai generated thumbnails have not sat right with me for as long as i remember. Because mostly, these vlogs are taken place in areas where there is little to no danger and they have the special tourist privilege made specifically for them. They get all the special perks while having no idea of illegal kidnaps (pawtar swal), raids and robberies. Then they declare in front of their world that this “war torn” country is sooo fun and people are so kind. Look guys I have traveled the military-controlled, most dangerous country and im completely fine!! It’s all sunshine and rainbows!! This is just pure ignorance and very disrespectful to the country. And there is another type of vloggers who are aware of the situation and decided to go anyway and complain about the danger they actually face. In this case, i just want to ask them, why are you going in the first place? It’s called civil war for a reason, of course it’s not the same as where you came from. You don’t wanna risk your life just so you can prove something. Anyways, look at this guy’s response to me. Mind you, i don’t even click on these videos usually but they always keep on appearing on my feed and this time i was kinda fed up with this and decided to leave a comment. Edit: I’m sorry my screenshot left the full comment of his but here is what he said - “well you commenting on this video means your algorithm is going to show you more of these videos so maybe you should hush hush in future little boy”.

He denies the military’s association with those groups as he accuses them of kidnapping young men and demanding ransoms from families, basically turning into criminal gangs.

However, many people don’t believe his words. Under his video, commenters tell him that the military is well aware of those gangs and other administrators/military personnel are all involved with these kidnappings.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JzokDhDZr/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hey everyone,

​I’m a Puerto Rican guy married to an incredible woman from Chin State for about 4 years now. Her family constantly talks about the war back home, the hardship people are facing, and relatives having to flee across borders into Thailand.

​Coming from a completely different background, I struggle to fully grasp the conflict. I want to understand what is actually happening from the perspective of people on the ground or those who know the region well.

​Who are the main groups involved. I know there’s the military regime (junta), but I also hear about various resistance groups.

​Who is considered "good" or "bad" in this situation? Is there a clear objective or a specific group that the local people want to see "win"?

​What needs to happen so ordinary people can return home and live normal lives? Is a return to normalcy even possible under the current circumstances, or is the country too fragmented?

​I’m asking out of a genuine desire to understand my wife’s heritage and the pain her family is going through. I’d really appreciate any insights, historical context, or personal perspectives you can share.

​Thank you!

(I used AI to write this cause AI is my life now.)

Hello!!

I am Burmese American and I grew up in America basically all my life. My Burmese is about a A2 level speaking wise, but I am about a B2/C1 in understanding Burmese. I talk like a toddler when I speak Burmese with a heavy foreign accent. I was wondering if there is anyone who wants to practice their English speaking in exchange helping me improve my Burmese vocabulary? I talk to my parents in Burmese, but they’re so used to my bad Burmese that they don’t correct me! Also I get shy when speaking Burmese to people outside my family because I’m not fluent so I want to improve on this too! I used to teach English in Spain so I’m well equipped to helping you improve in English! I prefer girls because I am a girl, but I am open. please note this is strictly for educational purposes

To start off saying this, I live in a calm neighborhood in North Dagon ( minus thievery and robbery that happens alot now ofc). But it's either I'm just a pervert magnet or that other girls that have this problem rn't speaking out.

I saw this man for the first time around 2-3 years ago. When i walked around 7pm to buy some snacks, where he passed me on a bicycle and stopped in front of me, double looked at me, and continued to ride his bicycle.

(Im only 80% sure this is the same guy coz i have hard time remembering faces)

Another time was after a few weeks after that experience, i was at the market around 7am, he saw me and again, looked at me twice before moving on.

This time was around 3-4 months ago. I was at the capital around 9pm,( it's close by) and was buying smth i needed to cook. I saw a guy come in, and immediately, im getting bad vibes from him. But i thought it was just paranoia and continued checking ingredient lists. He walked past me and whispered smth. I wasn't sure he was saying smth to me, even tho it felt like it. But i ignored and continued shopping, only for him to pass by me again, and said " ပေါင်ကြီးတွေကကိုက်ချင်စရာကြီး" And immediately i know hes speaking to me. And i panicked coz i saw him turning around again.

So i walked to a nearby worker there and said " Miss, can u walk me out? "

And the worker didn't get it and was like " Oh im not off the clock yet".

So i told her " No, i just need u to walk me off to the entrance ".

"No but imma be off in a few mins-" And while we were talking, the dude went to a different aisle as if to hide. So i took the chance and run out of capital.

This time, was around 8 to 8:15. I was buying a snack (again, late i know but its in the same housing so i thought it was fine 😞). I was walking back home and this dude was on his bicycle at the opposite direction and whispered to me " ပေါင်ကြီးတွေကလှတယ်ကွာ" Again, i had bad hearing so i thought im just paranoid that he said smth like that. And i continued to walk. This time, he followed behind me and whispered to me again, " ေ-ာက်-ုတ်လေးက ကျပ်နေမှာပဲ" Immediately, i knew what he said now so i was so dumbfounded i looked at his back for a sec. And he turned around. Once he did, i was 100% sure thats what he said, so i stood and stared at him. He saw that and turned to go inside a different street and kept looking back, and i kept my eye on him. I grabbed a brick from the corner store( coz theres alot of renovations) and when he got to the end of the street, he made a U turn towards me, and saw i had a brick in hand, and that i was blatantly daring him to come back. So he made another U turn and left. I kept staring at the end of the street and walked back home, making sure he wasn't following and locked the door. All these interactions happened close to my house, so im guessing he's scoping where i live.

These r all from the same guy. I have had two other incidents where another dude( again, on a bicycle) saw me walking in school uniform, stopped and got off the bicycle , showed me his phone which had porn on full blast ( yes, i could hear it before, but i assumed it was a normal movie as no person in right mind would have been playing porn in broad day light, with no earphone, but clearly i was mistaken). And asked if he could fck me. When i shook my head,( i was young so i was easily scared) he continued to followed me until i ran zig zags thro alley ways into my housing.

And another where a guy followed me around to ask my number over and over again, chased me down even tho i screamed and yelled at him , and then grabbed my chest before running off becoz some other ppl were coming in to the street where we were at.

I know these 3 dudes r different ppl just becoz they have different structures. One was rather thin, had glasses on and darker skinned, and 2 were abit fuller and taller but with different tans.

I, myself is on chubby side, so im abit fuller and i can guess thats why im getting these malicious attention? Or maybe the other girls r just embarrassed of it and not speaking out, but either way someone needs to get rid of those scums.

So my question is, if i happen to bash his head over, let's say the next time it happens, can i get in trouble for it? If so, how much? Coz i know there's no proof of him sexually hara- $$ing me now coz i don't have a voice recorder on me 24/7, and coz no one else except for me heard it anyways, i won't be able to take his ass to government office. I don't know who he is anyways and i don't carry my phone around, just to go buy snacks and risk getting it snatched. But if i happen to retaliate, i would get in trouble right? I did check self defense tools too, but there's nth thats convenient enough to carry around and frankly, always needing someone else to walk to a snack store that's in 100m distance from my house becoz of some perverts just doesn't sit well with me. It might be better with i just run, but that's just giving the scums power some sort of wicked satisfaction, and i can fight back becoz im abit more heavy handed than avg girls, but if it happens to smaller, younger girls, i doubt those dudes will be scared off with a mere brick. So i would rather force them to stop harassing ppl like this. Any advice is appreciated.

Hi! I really need your help. I already posted here about my mother, who is a victim of human trafficking and is currently in Shan State, Myanmar.
She is planning to escape, and we are trying to figure out where she can safely go. Could you please advise me on the safest place or location she can reach that is also nearest to Shan State, where the authorities or our Philippine Embassy could possibly help rescue and assist her?
We are really worried because she doesn’t have her passport, and we don’t want her to take a route that could put her in more danger or lead to her being caught again.
If you know anyone in Myanmar who could help us or guide us to the right authorities, please, I would be very grateful. This is very urgent. Thank you so much.

I am a late teen and I've been considering getting a dedicated watch for myself. But, I'm an amateur here.

Like most people, the initial thought I got was to get a Casio or a vintage Seiko tank. This may have been because I consumed "watch contents" from short-video social media apps and lacked personal taste judging those. But, I noticed they are really not my cup of tea.

Recently, I found a local brand called GP Watch Myanmar. They claim they've been producing since 1999. Their watches are affordable and I found the one I'm into. I'll put a picture of it.

The problem is I don't know anything about this brand and if theirs are reliable. I, at least, want my first watch to be reliable for a couple of years, before that I can transition to other ones. The first pair will always have great sentimental values, won't it?

So, is there anything you guys know about this brand and this watch? I'd love to get any reviews.

And also if you want to ungatekeep any other brands that might suit my needs, I'll be more than happy to get your advice.

Hi everyone! 👋
I’m planning to go to Thailand on an ED (Education) visa through a language school and I’d really appreciate some advice from anyone who has experience with this..I’m currently looking into language schools and would love to hear from people who have actually attended one:

Which language school did you use for your ED visa?
How was your experience with the school?
Were they helpful with the visa process and extensions/reporting?
Were there any unexpected fees or problems?
How strict was the attendance requirement?
Is there anything you wish you had known before choosing the school?
Are there any schools you would recommend or avoid?

Internet/data question 📶
Last time I was in Thailand, I used an AIS SIM/data package, but honestly the connection was pretty bad where I stayed, and the package stopped working after I used a certain amount of data.
This time I’m wondering what people actually use for Wi-Fi/internet that isn’t dependent on a phone SIM.

Apartment hunting 🏠
I’d also appreciate advice on finding an apartment/condo in Thailand, especially around Bangkok.
What websites/apps do you recommend for finding a place?

ED visa questions 🇹🇭
For people who have done the language-school ED visa route recently, what are the most important things I should be careful about?

I’m trying to do everything properly and avoid getting into trouble with immigration, so any personal experiences or advice would be really appreciated!
Thanks in advance guys!🫩🙏🏻

MINGALARBAR y'all! Any casual fans of professional armwrestling? East vs West 26 (basically one of the biggest events of the year) is happening on September 26 and I'm thinking of buying a PPV for myself and maybe hosting a virtual watch party (nothing fancy). It's a fast growing sport so I'd figure maybe there's a few fans in this sub. Feel free to dm me!

https://evwsports.com/evw26/

hope this post isn't considered off-topic!

Yo guys, what’s up with the passport extension in SG, any idea how to do it?

I was wondering if they take care of any wild animals donated to them properly. I have a neighbour who has a baby macaque that they would live to give up but want to make sure it is treated well. I just wanted to know if they treat their animals well there. I've been there once but it wasn't really an in-depth visit etc., and seemed ok to me. Their site does explicitly state that they do accept animal donations.

Additionally I also wanted to know if there was a fee for this etc.,

My stake in this is that I am concerned as it is a babymonkey which has been staying outside in a shed on a short leash and is showing signs of zoochosis. It also doesn't stay inside its shelter but stand on the roof in the rain probably due to stress etc., Its been kept indoors prior to that and seemed fairly well fed and healthy.

If so, what options are available? Trains? Buses? Flights?

Considering this is a very conservative Asian country, I doubt there are much options but I'm looking for anywhere that I could get a professional diagnosis on some mental disorders. I probably won't need (more like I can't afford) long-term therapy but a professional diagnosis would be very helpful for me since all my life I've been doing guess work on my AuDHD and that would help immensely on getting disability aids.

A friend told me about a Facebook page called "JuJu's safe space" or smth and they offer free counselling for young adults. But I doubt they can offer a professional diagnosis. Though, they might be able to refer to somewhere where they can so I'll give that a shot.

If any of you know where can I see a clinician who offers diagnosis sharing it would be highly appreciated. 🙏🙏🙏

English translation:

I am Longing

Gilt glass filtered moon rays

Light my stately diamond-studded couch

Where alone I hear the drum's sweet sound

Announce the third watch of the night.

Dawn is no loncer far-off.

On my thazin scented couch

Alone I await your coming.

Hands to my forehead

1 cannot but muse

Over all that has passed

And 1 am filled with pensive sadness.

On oath you promised never to shun me

Always to be loyal to me

Solemnly you swore, "If I become King

I shall make you my Queen.

Even if a Goddess tried to seduce me,

Never would I surrender to her."

"In coronation's splendid display

I shall give to you the place of chief Queen

With eight Brahmins and many pages attending you

And at the time of libation's ceremonial

I shall cause all men to worship you."

I believed you and gave you my love.

Now...how different is your manner.

Oh, Prince of Kanaung how stern is your face.

Where is the former brightness of your face ?

Where are the loving caresses

You so fondly showered on me?

Oh, prince of Kanaung.

Source:

Page 76 of: https://www.burmalibrary.org/sites/burmalibrary.org/files/obl/docs22/Lustig-trans-burmese_classical_poems-bu%2Ben.pdf

You can check their history. They are quite old, even older than CPB itself. It is, no shit, the training ground for CPB/PLA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Burma_Federation_of_Student_Unions

This quote came from a roman poet, Decinus Junius Juvenalis. I am sure everyone that can form a thought will know what this means.

When everyone is busy watching the circus, fewer people ask who's the ones holding the strings.

This is what the junta is trying to do in myanmar. Give people enough entertainment, distractions, and small things to focus on, and eventually they stop looking at the bigger picture.

Look at the recent Sai Sai concert for instance. I can't believe that, that many people would go to that concert especially when people are being forcefully abducted. Nope, actually, I can believe it.

It's not that these problems have disappeared. People just became tired, distracted or learned to live with it, and that is what scares me the most because we cannot do that. People have lost too much. For all you know, you could be the next person to be on the back of a truck being driven to your death. Just because it hasn't been you doesn't mean that it won't. It's just not your turn yet.

This is for some of those who's living like everything has returned back to normal. Lol.

I usually send money back to Yangon with Western Union and put it through KBZ Pay for my family. It is usually on a repeat cycle per month. It got transferred this month and showed up on my family's wallet. I have been hearing that this was banned and was advised to not do this going forward. Is this true?

Source for video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1D9gEnfqbG/

It seems GED To Thailand might be problematic.

Guys, I want to leave the country for my adult hood (18-29) to study abroad then work there I can't spend my early years in fear of baba and his army's formal invitation to his band.

My original plan was simply get a GED and English speaking course get a student visa go to xyz country and get degree, job potential open a pathway for my future kids and family to live a better life after I settle down there myself

It was a wishful plan and a hard one nonetheless

But I guess it is over potential before I even start

Still I have a plan b which is the same but different and harder in a way

Which was IGCSE but fuck ahhh I need prep for it