YANGON, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- At her apartment in Yangon, Myanmar, livestream seller Thinzar Hlaing adjusts her ring light, checks her camera, and taps "Go Live."

Within seconds, comments flood her screen:

"Show the blue one, sis!"

"How much for L size?"

"Please try it on!"

Her livestream has barely begun, yet hundreds have already joined. Behind her, dresses from her own brand, Cherry Wine Fashion, hang neatly on display. Her shop specializes in traditional Myanmar ready-to-wear clothing.

Thinzar said her business had once relied entirely on Facebook, but declining reach pushed her to explore TikTok.

Thinzar chose livestreaming to reach customers beyond her local area. "If I sell only in a physical shop, only people nearby will come. I want to reach everyone. That's why I started livestream selling."

She added that hosting skills are essential. "In a physical shop, we can observe customers directly, but online, they only see the host. We have to understand what they want by reading comments carefully."

Her sessions usually last one to four hours, depending on internet stability. Some customers buy wholesale, including those in Singapore and Thailand who resell to Myanmar communities abroad, she said.

"I have to build trust on TikTok," she said, adding that live shows allow direct interaction and help customers feel at ease. She has been livestreaming for several years. "As long as customers keep coming, I'll keep going live."

Scenes like hers unfold across Myanmar every evening. In small apartments, shopfronts, and shared hostels, thousands of young sellers are turning TikTok into a vibrant marketplace powered by real-time engagement.

Compared to traditional online shops, TikTok's live commerce is fast and spontaneous. Sellers twirl dresses, try cosmetics, pour water over fabrics to show good quality, or crack jokes to keep viewers.

In Nay Pyi Taw, seller Ma Wai Phyar Kyaw, who runs a gold-coated and stainless-steel accessories shop, has experienced this way of selling since 2021.

"Livestream selling connects us directly with customers, and our sales have increased. At first, people ordered only online. Now, many visit my physical store," she said.

She said that she has to prepare carefully before each stream, selecting items, arranging displays, and practicing her tone. "Livestreaming takes time, but it's worth it. My online and offline sales are now about equal," she said.

Social media analyst Nanda Phyo, 32, said TikTok's algorithm gives small sellers unusual visibility. "A seller with 200 followers can suddenly get 5,000 viewers if the algorithm picks up their stream. It opens the door for people with no business background."

For buyers, the appeal is immediacy. Yangon shopper Khin May, 24, prefers livestream shopping because she can ask questions on the spot. "If I don't like the color, I ask to see it again."

Still, livestreaming demands stamina. Many sellers go live daily to stay visible. Orders pile up quickly, cash-on-delivery increases cancellation risk, and digital payments are not yet universal, sellers said.

Despite these challenges, TikTok continues to reshape Myanmar's e-commerce landscape. From October 2023 to June 2025, more than 21,000 online sales businesses were registered with Myanmar's Ministry of Commerce, official data showed.

"Live commerce blends performance with business," analyst Nanda Phyo said. "It turns ordinary people into entrepreneurs and entertainers," he said.