Looks like Joel was right about the shops in Tachilek.

http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.Tachilek vendors close up shops

Sorry the link no longer works.

Business as usual last Thursday at the border crossing between Mae Sai and Tachilek.

Many traders on the border town of Tachilek in Myanmar have closed up shop amid fears that soldiers from the Myanmar army have begun to arrest owners who deal in illegal DVD and CD sales.

Many of the vendors in Tachilek are members of the Red Wa tribe and have been allowed under an agreement with the Myanmar government to sell their wares provided they do not carry or store weapons.

This past week reports surfaced that several vendors had been arrested by soldiers from the Myanmar government which prompted the closing of many shops, notorious for plying illegal goods, mostly from China.

Reports (that could not be verified by the Chiangmai Mail) state that members of the Red Wa army have been purchasing weaponry and stocking up on food provisions in preparation for future skirmishes with the Myanmar military.

The government of Myanmar had ordered the ethnic Red Wa members to volunteer as soldiers but this call has fallen on deaf ears. (CMM Reporters)

shtml

link pulled already ??

Yesterday Tachilet had a power outage - for officials too.

Wonder who's going to challenge me on this one...!!!

Yesterday Tachilet had a power outage - for officials too.

Wonder who's going to challenge me on this one...!!!

They did not!!!! In fact the power grid was working so efficiently that the voltage got really really high and people were worried that it might burn out their equipment so they turned it all off just to be safe.

Power outage!!! Hah!!!! No way!!!

Chownah

things have been ratcheted up a notch for the Burmese junta ,

check the thread in general also ...........

I think that at least a significant portion of Tatchilek's power is run on a big generator

I base this on seeing a trailor-sized generator humming during daylight hours - alongside the main street about a mile east of the bridge.

I've spent nights in Thatchilek, and when looking from the top of Mekong River Hotel late at night, the only significant lights to be seen on the Burmese side are on the hill - two miles north of town where there's a resort and golf course.

Don't show this note to the Burmese junta. In their paranoid stupor, they may tag me as a spy.

Be ironic if Burma became democratic before .......

I don't understand this.

Militia - even disorganized resisters - wouldn't buy

weapons at a public flea market for tourists.

And, since when would Burma have to worry about

respecting the copyrights of western DVD's?

China's government has absolutely no regard

for copyright law unless its their own products.

But you'd have to live there and see it - news reports

are completely inaccurate most of the time.

Could this be mafia related? Will DVD's return

with new owners making the profits?

Be ironic if Burma became democratic before .......

Wouldn't it though.. ROTFLMAO

Be ironic if Burma became democratic before .......

Wouldn't it though.. ROTFLMAO

Never happen, when the military gets control, they have a hard time releasing. Who is control here? Burma can call

themselves the "Democratic state of Myanmar" , just like Laos does, but it doesn't mean squat poop.

Are the DVD shops still closed? Any up to date news?

Are the DVD shops still closed? Any up to date news?

Well ?

Are the DVD shops still closed? Any up to date news?

Well ?

I'm having a run up there next week, possibly Tuesday. Expect a full report.

Are threats of border closures at Mae Sai a regular occurence ? In the recent past have border closures actually occurred there ? I hope to purchase a home in the region.

Yes and yes - sometimes for long periods of time.

That would suck living in Mae Sai and having to go to Vientiane for a border run.

Yes and yes - sometimes for long periods of time.

Come on, it's not that bad.

Over a seven year period, maybe a few weeks.

I agree that it isn't very often that they shut the border down, but it sure does suck when they do .

Sometimes when MaeSai is closed, MaeSot isn't... it costs twice as much for the border officials though. Still, cheaper than Vientianne...

Vientiane's a nice break though, mind you I wouldn't want to do it every month but every three months would be ok. Nong Khai and Udon Thani are nice towns to spend a night in to the break the journey. If you had plenty of time you could go overland from Chiang Khong via Laung Prabang. I've done the LP to Vientiane leg and the scenery is stunning.

I'm doing my first border run for 9 months so I just wonder if any of you guys here have been across, or maybe you know someone that has.

Do they still check the 10.000+ baht and do they want to see a ticket out of Thailand within the month or so? Just thinking that things might have changed.

I was up there last on the 14th July, and the answers to both questions is no. I realise 9 weeks is a long time in Thailand but will be going this week, possibly Tuesday, to show some visitors the sights and will post a report here on my return.

I was there last week to get another three months on my non-o.

I was asked why I have stayed so long in Thailand.

This is the first time being asked this in five years.

The immigration officer may have just been trying to be friendly.

On the plus side it was very quite and only took about ten minutes.

The longest bit was walkng across the bridge.

I wish they would allow me to take my motorbike

I was there last week to get another three months on my non-o.

I was asked why I have stayed so long in Thailand.

This is the first time being asked this in five years.

The immigration officer may have just been trying to be friendly.

On the plus side it was very quite and only took about ten minutes.

The longest bit was walkng across the bridge.

I wish they would allow me to take my motorbike

Thanks garro, did you notice if the DVD shops have reopened yet?

I paid a visit to Tatchilek on Mother's day last month, and apart from a million Thais going in for shopping, the Farangs crossing were very few. No changes of any real note. the notice stating 10,000 and 20,000 baht respectively for 30 day and 90 day visas was still there, but no questions were asked. All the DVD shops were open, and the X-Ray machine was doing a roaring trade. All in all, much the same as it has always been...MM

Just got back from Tachilek, most of the DVD shops are open. Had a chat to a tout I've known for several years who said they were all closed for ten days.

Movies are 70B average, and I got two concerts for 90B total.

As has been my experience in the past, no farangs, tourists or visa runners, were required to place their bags on the scanner or asked to open them by officials.

I might try to do my 90 day visa run a bit early in light of recent events in Burma

and the travel warning issued.

I think if there is any deterioration of the situation there, they will close the border.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...44463&st=15

Anybody there yesterday?

I was there on the 25th so I might answer my own question. No questions asked at the border. I'm just a tourist visa guy at the moment so I should be in the category of being checked.

I was the only western guy crossing the border, checking in at the burmese office and then also completely alone when checking back into Thailand again. There was only one Thai officer working at the checkin.

I might try to do my 90 day visa run a bit early in light of recent events in Burma

and the travel warning issued.

I think if there is any deterioration of the situation there, they will close the border.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...44463&st=15

Anybody there yesterday?

See this link for a run down on a member's trip yesterday.....

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...15&start=15

Thai-Burma Tachilek border stays open.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=122121

Thai-Burma Tachilek border stays open.

CHIANG RAI - It was business as usual at the Chiang Rai-Tachilek border crossing Friday and Thai authorities confirmed that the border checkpoint in this province remained open despite the Burma regime's violent crackdown on popular protests against military rule.

Col. Sompong Chaengchamras, chairman of the Thai-Burma Township Border Committee (TBC) said the Burma TBC assured that the Tachilek border crossing, at the Thai-Burma town well-known for its low-cost market. will remain open.

Both Burmese and Thai nationals needed to cross the border for trade while tourists travelling in the northern provinces of Thailand also intended to visit the bustling Tachilek market in Burma.

Burmese authorities stressed that tourists remained safe in Burma's Tachilek province, and that the violence being shown elsewhere had not affected the border area.

Meanwhile, some Burma nationals were seen crossing the border to buy necessities in Thailand's Mae Sai district as usual, while tourists travelled from Thailand into Tachilek.

Persons and vehicles must pass tight inspection at the Chiang Rai-Tachilek bordercrossing before entering Burma.

Security forces swept through Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon), Burma's main city on Thursday, killing nine people including a Japanese journalist, and arresting hundreds more in a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests. (TNA)