When a Barrel Hits 2.5 Million Kyats: What’s Really Happening Behind Production in Myanmar

TH
2 days ago
2 min read

At Classic Home, we always say this—every product has a story. And right now, the story behind production in Myanmar is… not an easy one.

Things have changed very quickly over the past few months. Prices are rising almost every week, and at the same time, electricity has become unpredictable. So instead of just talking about products, I want to share what’s actually happening on the ground.

The Reality of Power Cuts

Since March 2026, electricity has been running on a rotation system. In most areas, we only get power for a few hours at a time.

And when the power goes out, work doesn’t stop—we just have to find another way to keep things running. That usually means generators.

But generators run on fuel… and that’s where things get difficult.

What the Prices Look Like Now

To give you a clearer picture, here’s how some of our key materials have changed just recently:

Diesel (per barrel): from around 160,000 Kyats → 2,350,000 Kyats
Thinner (per barrel): from 1,350,000 Kyats → 2,400,000 Kyats
Clear lacquer (per gallon): from 160,000 Kyats → 250,000 Kyats

These aren’t small increases. They’ve jumped to a point where every decision in production has to be reconsidered.

What This Means for Daily Production

In reality, this affects everything.

Running machines, spraying finishes, even just keeping the workflow steady—it all depends on fuel and timing now.

A few things we deal with every day:

Planning production around electricity hours
Using generators when needed (at a much higher cost)
Managing material usage more carefully than ever
Adjusting timelines because things are less predictable

Even something as simple as applying lacquer now comes with a much higher cost than before.

The Human Side of It

Behind all of this are the people—our weavers, workers, and team.

When material costs go up, living costs go up too. And naturally, everyone needs more support just to maintain their daily life.

So it’s not just about production—it’s about keeping everything sustainable for the people involved.

Why I’m Sharing This

I’m not sharing this to complain or to make things sound dramatic.

I just think it’s important to show what’s really happening behind the scenes.

Despite everything—power cuts, rising costs, delays—the work continues. The quality is still there. The team still shows up every day and does what they do best.

And that’s something I think is worth sharing.