No spitting betel nut outside Yangon’s stock exchange

Yangon’s fancy schmancy new stock exchange launches Wednesday, but don’t even think about bringing the betel nut to celebrate the occasion.

Several signs posted out front of the former reserve Bank of India building on Mahabandoolah and Sule Pagoda road warn against the practice.

The signs resemble others around the city. Stick-like figure. Red spit flying toward ground.

Here’s a close up.

It’s hard to see how anyone will reign in betel nut, stock exchange or no stock exchange.

The sidewalk around the bourse is covered in betel nut leavings, much like the rest of the city.

Yangon officials have struggled in recent years to try to regulate the spitting aspect of using betel nut, even going so far as to pass out red plastic bags to vendors.

Unfortunately, they failed to catch on.

Photo / Coconuts Yangon

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