The eagle-eyed among the New Mandala readership will notice that this shop, spotted in a Burmese tourist market, offers a special discount….
…for Thais.
While the Thai-Burmese relationship may be occasionally strained, and prejudice may sometimes endure, the Burmese storeholders at this market were keen to make deals…in Thai. Inter-ASEAN commerce is strong, at many levels, and the fraternal vibe of this diverse family is reinforced…one tacky knecklace at a time.
Bad luck to the non-Thai shoppers out there.
For instance, nobody seemed to be advertising special discounts to Australians. Bogyoke Aung San Market, Yangon – is anybody out there listening? Australians want discounts too.
1 response so far ↓
1 New Mandala » Beautiful one day… // Oct 23, 2006 at 12:44 am
[...] I have never been to Vang Vieng but, to my mind, this is an important type of article. This type of report can clarify some of the ways that the tourist scene inevitably lurks in the background of almost all academic research projects now claiming to provide understanding of mainland Southeast Asia. In my view, the tourist industry can’t be avoided or ignored. At the same time, the force of tourist activity should ensure that the pristine and untrammelled Southeast Asia of some imaginations can be vanquished once and for all. [...]
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