Sunday 27 September 2020

New DEMS envelopes aka smart envelopes are to be issued

Myanmar Post will issue the new type of DEMS envelopes on 1 October 2020.  The plastic envelopes will be called as smart envelopes, as the individual envelope comes with tracking QR codes.  There are four varieties of envelopes with or without postage for 500 gram content and 1KG content respectively.  

Mandalay Daily Newspaper Vol 23, No 298, 27 Sep 2020, page 18.

For the envelopes with the postage prepaid, the sender has to put the contents in correct weight, write the  addresses and drop in any posting box.  The sender may tear off the customer portion which contains tracking information for the item being sent.  For the envelopes without the postage, the sender has to hand the packed item over the counter for the postage payment. 

Without postage, up to 500g, 300 Kyats.

Without postage, up to 1Kg, 350 Kyats.

With postage, up to 500g, 1300 Kyats.

With postage, up to 1Kg, 1850 Kyats.

The envelope designs are similar to each others except the price label on the upper area below the DEMS logo and beside the wording Myanmar Post.  For the envelopes without the postage, the selling price for the envelopes are written.  For the envelopes with postage, it is stated "Postage Paid" followed by selling price and weight limitation.

Ko Sein Min from Mandalay reported that some of such envelopes were being in use since late September, probably as an experimental.  It will make the small business with e-commerce business easier, faster and efficient way of delivering their goods to the customers nationwide though Myanmar Post system.

After the posting, the delivery status of the packet can be tracked in real time at the Myanmar Post website.  Myanmar Post provides launched the mobile app simply named as "Myanmar Post", which one can use to track the item status.  The screenshots of the tracking system is shown below.

Home Screen

 

Tracking Info

 

After the delivery, the item status is updated to "Delivered" status.  The following is the result of tracking viewed from web version of the system.



 

Monday 21 September 2020

Panyan (The art of bricklaying and masonry)

Although the COVID-19 situation get worsen, Myanmar Post issued the fifth stamp in the Art series.  The stamp featuring the art of bricklaying and masonry was issued on 21 September.   

Stamp Design

Panyan is the art of bricklaying and masonry. The masons build the brick structures like pagodas, temples, houses and buildings. The art of Myanmar's traditional masonry works can be widely seen in Bagan. The Panyan art of Bagan period is highest developed of all the periods.

Postcard depicting the art of Panyan

 Technical Details of Stamps

Date of Issue : 21 September 2020
Printer : Security Printing Works (Myanmar)
Printing Process : Offset
Stamp Size and Format : 30 mm x 42 mm (Vertical)
Color : 4
Perforation : 14
Denomination : K200
Sheet Composition :  50 Stamps per Sheet
Quantity : 300,000 pc
Stamp Designers : Shwe Yoe Yar, Thiha Lwin (TMH)

Just before the issue date, COVID-19 situation has worsen in Myanmar.  Yangon city was put under stay-at-home order starting from 21 Sept with the notice issued one day before.  To prevent the crowd at the stamp selling centers, first day cancellations were made available until 30 Sept at Yangon GPO, Mandalay GPO and Naypyidaw CTO.

Collectors appeared at Mandalay GPO amidst the pandemic

 

First Day Covers

Official FDC


Tuesday 8 September 2020

MPS online activity during COVID-19 pandemic

During COVID-19 pandemic stay home period, Ko Toe organized a philatelic talk series for MPS members via Zoom cloud meeting.  The talk series was reported in the previous post.  Ko Toe himself gave presentation of four titles on his airletter sheet exhibit, modern philately class, picture postcard class and thematic class.  Ko Toe reported this online activity to FIAP News Issue 48

FIAP News, Issue 48, Sep 2020, p 14.

FIP Flash 130 also included the report.

FIP Flash, Issue 130, Sep 2020, p 26.

Ko Toe reported FIAP president visit to MPS during February at this blog.  The September issue of FIAP News included the report of the visit as cover story.

FIAP News, Issue 48, Sep 2020, p 1.
FIAP News, Issue 48, Sep 2020, p 2.

 



Myanmar's Federation enters Asian Family

As the first phase of Ko Toe's efforts to bring Myanmar collectors to international philately, Myanmar Philatelic Society also known as MPS submitted an application for membership to FIAP in January 2019. The application was provisionally approved at the FIAP Executive Committee Meeting held on 1 March 2019 in Hong Kong.

The membership application was approved unanimously in 22nd congress of FIAP on 3 Aug 2019.  The congress was held in Singapore together with Singpex 2019.  The approval news was recorded in FIAP News 47 and FIP Flash 129.


FIAP News, Issue 47, Dec 2019, p 7.
FIAP News, Issue 47, Dec 2019, p 7.

FIP Flash, Issue 129, Jan 2020, p 31.


Friday 4 September 2020

Pantaut (The art of making floral designs using masonry)

 The stamp featuring Myanmar stuccowork is the fourth stamp in the series of Myanmar arts. 

Pantaut is the art of making decorated floral designs using masonry. The artisans make the stucco figures of lion, dragon, and other decorated floral designs mostly in balustrades and stairway of Burmese wooden monastery and pagodas. The art of Pantaut is widely applied in the masonry monasteries in Mandalay area.

 


Technical Details of Stamps

Date of Issue : 4 September 2020
Printer : Security Printing Works (Myanmar)
Printing Process : Offset
Stamp Size and Format : 30 mm x 42 mm (Vertical)
Color : 4
Perforation : 14
Denomination : K200
Sheet Composition :  50 Stamps per Sheet
Quantity : 300,000 pc
Stamp Designers : Shwe Yoe Yar, Thiha Lwin (TMH)

First Day Covers


Official FDC