offwego

One of the things that sounds wonderful about Burma is being completely cut off from the rest of the world....but alas a friend will meet me there who has a small child in the US and needs to be able to be reached.

I know email is probably out of the question... no access to gmail, facebook, yahoo, etc. What about cell phones...would she be able to get a call on her iphone?

As you can see, I've done zero research about this....if anyone knows the answer, I can get on to the more important aspects of the trip...

Hanuman

Lori,

When I was there, a few years ago, I was able to make calls using my Thai mobile number(international roaming) from Yangon and Inle. I was told that they only switch their cell network on periodically and they would have it on when a Thai dignitary is visiting(since it was Thaksin's administration who finance their mobile system). I was never bill for the calls I made!

I just hung up with the AIS Thailand operator and I'm told that currently there's no roaming with Thai numbers in Myanmar.

Hanuman

Just found this: http://www.myanmarmobilephone.com/

Kathie

It is possible to access some email sometimes. Basically, they use proxy servers to get around the government blockade of email. We never were able to access any of our regular emails accounts, but g-mail was accessible when we were there and Cheryl had an old account. As the government finds one proxy being used, it will close it down and people will find another work around.

So I'd suggest she have accounts with several providers, then she can see what she can access once she is there.

When are you going?

rhkkmk

i was there a few years ago and i had no problem with e mail...

isn't it possible to make a direct land line phone call from say a hotel??

Nywoman

I found internet cafes very accessible and quite frequent in Yangon and Mandalay, also at Inle. There were a few in Bagan and none in Ngpali as I could see, then again I didn't try hard there. I used my Gmail account which was always accessible.

People had cellphones but I don't know if they were just for local calls. I didn't feel that it was completely cut off from the world, and I am sure that your friend can be reached if need be.
Enjoy the trip, it is a wonderful place to visit.

filmwill

What about Skype? Is that also blocked?

Kathie

This thread got me thinking about a woman we met in Bagan and were supposed to meet up with in Rangoon. She had an elderly mother in London and was trying to keep tabs on her. She ended up cutting short her time in Rangoon and flying to Bangkok a few days earlier than she'd planned because she felt she needed to be more accessible to the outside world.

While you aren't entirely cut off from the rest of the world, we are so accustomed to being "wired to the world" that some people find Burma very difficult. We were ok with our inability to access our email. It was kind of nice, in fact. The one thing we needed email for was to make our AAC Limo reservations for Bangkok. (That's what we used Cheryl's old gmail account for.)

So, in part, this will depend on your friend's comfort with being less accessible than usual. It's possible to make contact with the outside world, just not as easy as most places.

MichaelBKK

Interesting; I've just returned from dinner with a businessman here in Medan, who is building what will be the world's second largest pagoda on a hill near here. He is doing a lot of business with Burma, and was telling me how he had just bought a 'basketball' phone for use in Burma. It's 'legal' to use in Burma; while the satellite phone he was using before that was not. He did comment that the sat. phone was very good, with always a clear connection.

This is one of those things that seems to sway back and forth from time to time. Connections can be good one week, and completely off the next. I do believe that land-lines are always an option.