Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The only easy option we found for visitors was rental of a SIM or a SIM and handset at
Yangon Airport from Yatanarpon. The cost, starting at $60 for five days not including call
charges, was prohibitive.
Time
The local Myanmar Standard Time (MST) is 6½ hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time
(GMT/UTC). When coming in from Thailand, turn your watch back half an hour; coming
from India, put your watch forward an hour. The 24-hour clock is often used for train
times.
LIVING ON MYANMAR TIME
Chances are that your bus or train will roll in late, but much of Myanmar actually
does work on a different time system. Burmese Buddhists use an eight-day week
in which Thursday to Tuesday conform to the Western calendar but Wednesday is
divided into two 12-hour days. Midnight to noon is 'Bohdahu' (the day Buddha was
born), while noon to midnight is 'Yahu' (Rahu, a Hindu god/planet). However, it's
rare that the week's unique structure causes any communication problems.
The traditional Myanmar calendar features 12 28-day lunar months that run out
of sync with the months of the solar Gregorian calendar. To stay in sync with the
solar year, Myanmar inserts a second Waso lunar month every few years - some-
what like the leap-year day added to the Gregorian February. The lunar months of
Myanmar are Tagu, March/April; Kason, April/May; Nayon, May/June; Waso,
June/July; Wagaung, July/August; Tawthalin, August/September; Thadingyut,
September/October; Tazaungmon, October/November; Nadaw, November/
December; Pyatho, December/January; Tabodwe, January/February; Tabaung,
February/March.
Traditionally, Burmese kings subscribed to various year counts. The main one in
current use, the thekkayit,begins in April and is 638 years behind the Christian
year count. Therefore, the Christian year of 2014 is equivalent to the thekkayitof
1376. If an ancient temple you see sounds way too old, it may be because locals are
using the thekkayit.
Another calendar in use follows the Buddhist era (BE), as used in Thailand,
which counts from 543 BC, the date that Buddha achieved nibbana.Hence AD
2011 is 2554 BE.
