Current Time in IANA Asia/Rangoon Timezone

Overview and Coverage

The Asia/Rangoon time zone applies to the entire country of Myanmar, located in Southeast Asia. It is the sole time zone used in Myanmar, covering all regions from the northern highlands to the southern coastal areas. The zone also includes the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, which uses the IANA zone Indian/Cocos at the same offset. However, the primary zone for Myanmar is Asia/Rangoon, with Asia/Yangon being an alias for the same zone.

Offset and Abbreviation

The standard offset is UTC+06:30, meaning local time is six and a half hours ahead of UTC. The time zone abbreviation used in Myanmar is MMT (Myanmar Standard Time). Historically, the abbreviation was also BMT (Burma Mean Time) before the country's name change. Unlike many time zones, the half-hour offset is a distinctive feature, placing it in a small group of zones with 30-minute deviations, such as Nepal (UTC+05:45) and Newfoundland (UTC-03:30).

Daylight Saving Time (DST)

Myanmar does not observe daylight saving time. The offset has remained constant at UTC+06:30 for decades. There is no seasonal clock change, so the time difference with other regions remains consistent throughout the year. This simplifies scheduling for businesses and travelers, as no adjustments are needed for DST transitions.

Countries and Cities

• Myanmar: The entire country uses Asia/Rangoon. Major cities include Rangoon (Yangon), Mandalay, Naypyidaw (capital), and Mawlamyine.
• Cocos (Keeling) Islands: This Australian territory uses Indian/Cocos, which shares the same UTC+06:30 offset but is a separate IANA zone.

No other countries use this offset as a standard time, though some regions like Bangladesh (UTC+06) and Thailand (UTC+07) are nearby.

Business Hours and Scheduling

Myanmar's typical business hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MMT. For international coordination, here are key overlaps:

• With UTC (London): When London is on GMT (winter), Myanmar is 6.5 hours ahead (e.g., 9 AM MMT = 2:30 AM GMT). During British Summer Time (UTC+1), the difference is 5.5 hours.
• With Eastern Time (New York): Myanmar is 11.5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC-5) and 10.5 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-4). So 9 AM MMT is 9:30 PM EST (previous day) or 10:30 PM EDT.
• With Asia: Neighbors like Thailand (UTC+7) are 30 minutes ahead; Bangladesh (UTC+6) is 30 minutes behind; China (UTC+8) is 1.5 hours ahead; India (UTC+5:30) is 1 hour behind.

Best times for calls with North America: early morning MMT (8-10 AM) corresponds to evening in the Americas (previous day). For Europe, late morning to early afternoon MMT works well for afternoon in Europe.

Practical Guidance

When scheduling meetings, always confirm the time zone abbreviation (MMT) and avoid assuming DST changes. Use world clock tools that recognize Asia/Rangoon. For travel, note that Myanmar is 1.5 hours behind Thailand and 1 hour ahead of Bangladesh. The half-hour offset can cause confusion, so double-check conversions.