Myanmar maids

[hquek]

Western union did not provide remittance service in myanmar…not two years ago. There is an informal system that works well. So far my maid’s family had no problems collecting their money…they live in the countryside about three days bus journey from yangon. I dont think western union would have set up anything there. Btw they supposed to provide names in myanmese, not english. Think most should not have problems.

[piyobaby]

hquek:

Ya. Those cards sold at peninsula give more bang for the buck. Remittance also cheaper but I guess the rates should be very bad. Your helper will need her relative exact name. Cant recall what other details needed.

Geez....sound like quite a handful to find out since hiring a helper is totally new to mi. Din help that though she is ex-Sin, she knew nuts abt remittance as her ex-employer does it for her in her absence.

[piyobaby]

Coolkidsrock2:

Western Union may be a safer bet in the sense that the maid just need to produce her passport at her home country to collect the money. Risk of spelling error in the name is low as it is based on passport name.


The risk of her using the name of someone else is spelling error in the name so that she may encounter difficulties in withdrawing her money, though am not sure how stringent the name check is.

My maids are not highly educated and they had no prior experience with the banking system and not sure of the spelling of the name of the recipient.

I supposed it make not much difference as most likely they remit the funds to a next of kin e.g mother in her case so producing passport for withdrawal might be out of the picture?

[piyobaby]

hquek:

Western union did not provide remittance service in myanmar...not two years ago. There is an informal system that works well. So far my maid's family had no problems collecting their money...they live in the countryside about three days bus journey from yangon. I dont think western union would have set up anything there. Btw they supposed to provide names in myanmese, not english. Think most should not have problems.

From WU website, it seems that they provide pretty good tracking system & notification once the named party hv collected the money. Singpost is one of their appointed agent which happened to be near us.

Do we need to check in particular where their hometown is & how accessible it is for the next of kin to collect the money. Does ur helper remit every mth then since it will take the family such long distance traveling to Yangon? That the remittance service you hv mentioned previously rite? It's also important to use a reliable service lest their hard earned money fly out of the window!

[hquek]

Hi piyobaby,


you can check if WU offers remittance to Myanmar now - rules may have changed. But for my previous Indo helpers, I felt the charges were a bit high.

I went with mine to Peninsula plaza for first few times, thereafter, she can go by herself on days she request for off (supposed to be no off days, but we will let her go if she asks).

The names have to be submitted in myanmese. i was initially worried if it is reliable. That shop is a provision shop with remittance services and so far it has been working out well. Her dad was able to collect the money within days - at least I never hear complaints. I faintly recall it costs only few dollars for the remittance charge (was agog because used to WU’s tens of dollars).

Yes, I think it may help to know where her family is located - she should know if the place is easy for her family to collect money. My helper had to take 3 day bus ride from her hometown to yangon. I think her family will faint if they had to go Yangon to collect the money she send back. So far, it is at some village/town near to them; and her family will call her once they get. There was some hiccup initially but it turned out well (can’t recall details).

[piyobaby]

Thanks hquek for sharing, think for first few remittance, I will bring her there just to make sure things are in order. Subsequently will ask her to do it herself since she insisted on having off day.


I have not checked on her chores for quite a while and she is starting to cut corners in her work. Unfortunately for her, I spotted them by chance & got her to repeat the chores. Need to talk to her on her black face & the scheduled chores not completed. :slapshead:

[yanyan]

Haiz~~ my maid call home & her mum told her that her hb has a new gf… Now crying buckets…haiz

[yanyan]

piyobaby:

Thanks hquek....the regular telco charged very high like $10 for 23mins kinda thing so trying to ask ard for alternatives. Western union does remit to Myanmar now but I'm comparing the service fees to help her save abit if possible.

I bought this calling card for my maid..$9.20 for an hr of talktime.. The card name is called \"magic myanmar\" - bought from a Mama shop @ punggol plaza

[piyobaby]

yanyan:

piyobaby:

Thanks hquek....the regular telco charged very high like $10 for 23mins kinda thing so trying to ask ard for alternatives. Western union does remit to Myanmar now but I'm comparing the service fees to help her save abit if possible.

I bought this calling card for my maid..$9.20 for an hr of talktime.. The card name is called \"magic myanmar\" - bought from a Mama shop @ punggol plaza

Wow dats good! Went down to peninsula plaza and juz ask one of the shop, bought one $10 for 65mins....now crossing fingers it worked.

[piyobaby]

yanyan:

Haiz~~ my maid call home & her mum told her that her hb has a new gf.. Now crying buckets..haiz

To allow calling back home or not to allow oso headache!

Hope she is pacified now.