Armin Schoch, formerly of Diethelm Travel
and now of Impulse Travel, talking recently as guest speaker at the
March meeting of Skål International Chiangmai & North Thailand about
the conditions in Burma today, noted that the country still had a way
to go in terms of infrastructure development, as well as resolving
political conflicts such as the Buddhist - Muslim sectarian violence
that has recently erupted.
Armin, who operated tours in Burma during 1994-95, noted the big
changes, including the removal of the requirements for exchanging US$200
into FEC currency and for using the currency that is just for tourists.
Additional flights and relaxed visa restrictions are among the other
changes. However, he observed that there were still many things that
needed to be done, including the redrafting of the Foreign Investment
Law, as well as new tax and banking laws; he noted that import/export
regulations were being relaxed.
According to Armin, the main issue with travel and tourism in Burma
is the lack of facilities, noting that if someone wanted to stay in a
five-star hotel or take a special cruise, then advance booking of at
least a year was required. Classic destinations such as Pegu are booked
to overcapacity. He said, “I think we will need to wait 3-4 years to
tell how the problems will be addressed and how the government will work
with the army. We need to wait for the dust to settle and get a more
normal situation to see where and what you can get before moving in.”
Armin felt that the opening of Burma would be beneficial to northern
Thailand as land borders open and more direct flights between Chiang Mai
and Burma are added.
He concluded on a note of concern about the increasing disparity between rich and poor in Burma.
source: Pattaya Mail
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