Online mystics cash in during Myanmar virus lockdown

YANGON: Myanmar lawyer Thiri had been excited about her wedding and new job this year -- before the coronavirus threw both into doubt.

With the stars very much unaligned, she turned to an astrology app for help.

For a fee of a few dollars, Thiri´s online mystic advised the 26-year-old to carry out kind deeds around her home, from donating flowers to feeding animals on the street, to ensure good karma.

"I´m going to follow all her advice," Thiri tells AFP, praising the Min Thein Kha app for its convenience at a time when the doors to her usual real-life astrologer at a downtown Yangon temple are securely shut for the city’s lockdown.

The Min Thein Kha platform -- the only one of its kind in Myanmar -- was launched two years ago.

Its creators claim to have two million registered customers and 50,000 daily active users.