A car enthusiast in Yangon applies a fresh sticker to his jeep.

BEAUTIFUL creatures –dragons, eagles, horses, angels – parade down the streets of Yangon in their highly decorated vehicles, amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.

But these glamorous animals are not a circus team – they aren’t even live animals – they’re stickers attached to cars.

A new generation of car owners has emerged, where owning a decorated car has become de rigeur and an important part of belonging to the “in” crowd (that car had better be flashy).

But while it might seem like a new fad, the custom of decorating a car with decals or stickers began in Myanmar more than 20 years ago, according to car decorators.

Ko Naing Naing, owner of Hla Tun car decoration shop in Bo Aung Kyaw Street, said: “The market for Thai-made car stickers began expanding rapidly in Myanmar about 20 years ago. Chinese-produced stickers were introduced to the market only five years ago.”

Today, these accessories have become chic items for both car fashion lovers and car dealers, particularly among young men, aged between 18 and 20. There are two types of car stickers – those featuring a picture or message, the other type being a sun-shade sticker.

“Some car-owners decorated their car with stickers to make it look more attractive before selling their vehicle, but this is mostly done by the car dealers,” Ko Naing Naing said.

“According to the Road Transport Administration Department allowance, the permitted size of a sun shade sticker on the car’s windscreen is eight by four inches,” Ko Naing Naing said. “The price of this size is K2500.”

Today’s stickers or decals are often much more than simple fashion. Certain pictures or messages can act as a message network.

Ko Ye Yint Tun told The Myanmar Times: “Car decals are not only fashionable items but also form part of a communication network.

“Me and my friends decorate our car’s back window by attaching a grey-coloured sticker with the words ‘B1A2’. A car decorator made it for us.”

“This sticker has a personal meaning. It symbolises the friendship between me and my two best friends. The three of us pasted this sticker on our car’s back window as a kind of a signal, so we can spot each other easily,” he added.

These tailor-made decals, with their own specific size, colour and picture or message, range in price from K20,000 to K130,000.

Ko Naing Naing said the price of the decal varies depending on the quality.

“Thai stickers are priced at about K1500 per inch, while the ones coming from China are valued at K400 – but the quality of the Chinese stickers doesn’t match the Thai-made decals,” he explained. “The quality Thai stickers last a long time, while the Chinese ones last for only four or five months.”