Two Kyat Stamp

Ten Kyat Note

Fees

During our student days and even in our early working days, we had to sign and affix a fifteen-pya stamp to a receipt.

Some legal documents need stamps of Two Kyats (or more).

The school fees was 15 Kyats or less per month. At RIT, we had to pay 30 Kyats every two months. Since we received the Collegiate Scholarship of 75 Kyats per month, we had 60 Kyats pocket money every month.

That changed slightly, when we we “asked” to buy “Thuda Padtha Magazine” (or similar) for 5 Kyats.

Still, it was good enough. At the canteen, we would collectively order some food. Without the voracious eaters, each person would pay about one kyat.

Lime juice costs 15 – 20 pyas.

Butheegyaw 5 – 10 pyas.

Banana one for 15 pyas; two for 25 pyas.

Two years ago, my sisters took me to a “Phaya Phu” trip to Upper Burma. There were different kinds of fees : bridge tolls, fees to enter a town. The prices depend upon the type of car.

In one instance, the fee was K400. We gave a K500 note and got back a “tha-gya-lone” (candy supposedly worth K100).

I remembered receiving 15 – 50 kyats for my writings.

How things have changed.

Sad to note the declining worth of money and the disappearance of Bogyoke Aung San’s picture (during the Adhamma Era) and signatures of Maung Kaung and San Lin to guarantee the notes.