In the near future, if you wish to visit Bangkok, one of the options on the table is likely to be taking a bus ride, as talks are in an advanced stage to implement a project promoted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to start a regular bus service between India and Thailand via Myanmar.
The bus service would be part of a transport agreement being negotiated by India, Thailand and Myanmar for completion of the historic 1,400-km highway currently under renovation.
Top ADB officials said the negotiations are expected to be concluded next year, as the Indian government has offered Myanmar financial assistance to upgrade bridges along the route linking India’s Northeast with Myanmar and Thailand. (Courtesy of assamtribune.com)
July 18, 2016
Myanmar's Suu Kyi holds landmark rebel talks
Myanmar's de facto premier Aung San Suu Kyi held landmark talks with senior rebel leaders on Sunday, as she strives to seal a ceasefire with a patchwork of ethnic minority militias that have battled the national army for decades.
Suu Kyi has made peace a flagship policy of her newly installed civilian-led government which replaced decades of brutal junta rule earlier this year.
It is a tall order in a country where the military, which is loathed and deeply distrusted by many ethnic rebel groups, still retains significant control.
A number of key rebel factions have yet to sign up to a national ceasefire agreement, something Suu Kyi's government hopes Sunday's talks might change. (Courtesy of bangkokpost.com)
Suu Kyi has made peace a flagship policy of her newly installed civilian-led government which replaced decades of brutal junta rule earlier this year.
It is a tall order in a country where the military, which is loathed and deeply distrusted by many ethnic rebel groups, still retains significant control.
A number of key rebel factions have yet to sign up to a national ceasefire agreement, something Suu Kyi's government hopes Sunday's talks might change. (Courtesy of bangkokpost.com)
Govt calls for rural mobile coverage
Although mobile penetration has reached about 90 per cent of the population, many rural areas are left without coverage, according to Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications.
“One of the objectives in the telecoms master plan was to provide mobile services to about 90 per cent of the population by 2020. Although the target has been reached, it is mostly in urban areas. The government is aiming for more balanced coverage,” said an official from the ministry.
According to the census, about 70 per cent of the 51 million citizens live in rural areas. About half of the north and east are covered by forest or are mountainous. (Courtesy of elevenmyanmar.com)
“One of the objectives in the telecoms master plan was to provide mobile services to about 90 per cent of the population by 2020. Although the target has been reached, it is mostly in urban areas. The government is aiming for more balanced coverage,” said an official from the ministry.
According to the census, about 70 per cent of the 51 million citizens live in rural areas. About half of the north and east are covered by forest or are mountainous. (Courtesy of elevenmyanmar.com)
As banks grow, cash is still king in Myanmar
Wait long enough in a bank, and you’ll see them arrive: teams of young men, with heavy plastic bags full of cash on their shoulders. Each bag contains the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars – sometimes more than $100,000, depending on the denomination. Often, they’ll dump the piles of notes on the floor and count the individual blocks – each one a bundle of 100 notes – in front of waiting customers. And nobody will bat an eyelid.
Look more closely and you’ll also notice air purification machines dotted around the branch. These are to protect customers and staff from the dust and mould that inevitably builds up on such a large amount of cash. Bank staff also typically wear face masks to protect their respiratory systems from the particles in the air.
“The K1,000 notes are the dirtiest, because they are the most used in everyday transactions. But these days, even K5,000 notes are getting dirtier,” one bank teller told Frontier. “One of my colleagues had to be hospitalised to clear the dust from her lungs because of the long-term exposure to these dirty notes.” (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
Look more closely and you’ll also notice air purification machines dotted around the branch. These are to protect customers and staff from the dust and mould that inevitably builds up on such a large amount of cash. Bank staff also typically wear face masks to protect their respiratory systems from the particles in the air.
“The K1,000 notes are the dirtiest, because they are the most used in everyday transactions. But these days, even K5,000 notes are getting dirtier,” one bank teller told Frontier. “One of my colleagues had to be hospitalised to clear the dust from her lungs because of the long-term exposure to these dirty notes.” (Courtesy of frontiermyanmar.net)
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