Juan Carlos Milena
Where you can change dollars for Kyats
The truth is that it is one of the most frustrating experiences, but you have to jump through hoops to make your trip to Myanmar. In August 2011, after reaching the city, I had a lot of trouble. Switching to Kyats can not be done in exchange offices, but only on the black market, where you multiply by several times the value of euros or dollars. The problem is that we have moved from the 1000 kyat per dollar to about 760 kyat. You have to be careful, because some of the money is not real. So it is better to change at Bayoke market, which is a wide street near the Sule Pagoda (about 500 meters).
Do not confuse it with the little shops that are below the pagoda. We did it in a jewelry store, which is at the end where the exchange you get is better and safer, but as always, you have to watch out. Still, you meet nice people, don´t be afraid. At the end of the day, in Madrid and I wanted to exchange euros for dollars with 15% commission, so the problem is not the Burmese, it´s pretty much the same anywhere.
Read more