Build a hotel in Myanmar? I must be mad! Get a licence from the Myanmar government to operate an amateur radio station from that hotel? OK, now I need to be hospitalised!
This crazy idea came to me over the past year or so. I'm lucky enough to live and work on the paradise island of Phuket, in south Thailand. Although I'm an electronics and software engineer by profession, I now spend the majority of my time in the building and management of small tourist hotels in Phuket.
I build the hotels, (that means literally getting out the spade and digging holes for septic tanks, installing plumbing and wiring etc) - and then I manage all the customer bookings, especially the online bookings and online marketing.
I also try to find time to enjoy my hobby of amateur radio. At my latest little hotel (Airport Overnight Hotel) which is just 250 meters from Phuket International Airport, I've installed an antenna mast, atop is which my HF (shortwave) antennas.
I also operate my amateur station from my car - check out the photos at qrz.com - just search for my Thai callsign HS0ZIB.
So how did I come up with the idea of building a hotel in Myanmar? Well, I travel many times to south Myanmar, which is only a few hours away by car from my home base. The town in question (Kawthaung) is a very popular day-trip destination for both Thai tourists and non-Thais who live in Thailand, and have to make a visa-run to renew their visas. The problem is that Kawthaung has no decent hotels...
I have been trying to get a temporary amateur radio licence from the Myanmar authorities fro some time - to allow me to operate my ham gear from Kawthaung during one of my visits. But no such luck as yet :(
However, with the progress in 'democrasization' (not a real word?) in Myanmar, my Thai wife and I decided that it would be a good time to open a small resort in Kawthaung, to compliment our existing Phuket hotels.
This would also be a great opportunity to obtain a permanent amateur radio licence for the new resort!
There is one fly in the ointment. Our own funds are somewhat exhausted since we have just built and opened not one but 2 new hotels at Phuket Airport, (www.overnighthotel.asia and www.airportskyresort.com). That's why I need to seek external investors for this exciting project.
It's Monday 26th right now - next Wednesday I'll go back to Kawthaung and take some more photos for my project web-site at www.dxmyanmar.com
Simon
