Mae Sai/Tachilek Border Info

[DangerousDavies]

Maybe he needed a bit of time to think about it.

[mcgriffith]

Ran over on Sunday, Election Day.

Very light foot traffic; the touts were in a frenzy when we tried to descend the stairs down to the market.

Coming back I literally had to shoulder (with extreme prejudice) one offender.

Border wide open, no problems for transit.

[sceadugenga]

Funny how the Viagra salesmen seem to target certain people.

They seldom bother me, must know they are wasting their time...

[harrry]

Funny how the Viagra salesmen seem to target certain people.

They seldom bother me, must know they are wasting their time...

Don't run them down they have a hard job.

[maidu]

A friend tells me the imm office on the Tachilek side of the bridge, now won't take US dollars. Insists of Bt.500 only.

[sceadugenga]

Watch them change their mind when the dollar goes back up.

[kandahar]

I have heard this report on and off for the last few months. I have a friend here who goes every two weeks and he has yet to have his ten dollar bill declined. He was there last week and had no trouble with the ten dollar bill being accepted. Maybe he will next week. I will ask when he returns.

[fm2002]

I used (2) 5 dollar bills the last time I went and no problem

I have heard this report on and off for the last few months. I have a friend here who goes every two weeks and he has yet to have his ten dollar bill declined. He was there last week and had no trouble with the ten dollar bill being accepted. Maybe he will next week. I will ask when he returns.

[Groggy]

Hello,

Does anyone have an updated status of this border crossing?

Thanks

[dindong]

Went last week and everything was as usual.

[sceadugenga]

Quick trip over the border today, no problems at any stage.

The copy iPad2s looked interesting at 2400B.

[dindong]

Quick trip over the border today, no problems at any stage.

The copy iPad2s looked interesting at 2400B.

Did you give dollars or baht to the Burmese side?

[sceadugenga]

Baht, don't carry third world currencies sorry...

[woralak]

Baht, don't carry third world currencies sorry...

:lol: :cheesy: :hit-the-fan:

[Ricardo]

Funny how the Viagra salesmen seem to target certain people.

They seldom bother me, must know they are wasting their time...

Don't run them down they have a hard job.

They sell against stiff competition !

[cmjantje]

Last thursday I went to renew my visa.

The officer filled in some paper (in Thai), just had to sign it. I don't know what kind of paper and what it is for. Also a second form how you travelled into Thailand reason to extend etc.

Last but not least they took a webcam picture of me.

Any experience?

[sceadugenga]

What type of visa?

[cmjantje]

What type of visa?

I used to have an O-A but this time I showed my marriage papers, maybe that is because why??

[my friend I]

Quick trip over the border today, no problems at any stage.

The copy iPad2s looked interesting at 2400B.

Did you give dollars or baht to the Burmese side?

They refused my $US 10. Only wanted Bt500.

[Joel Barlow]

[ They refused my $US 10. Only wanted Bt500.

your $10 bill must not have been pretty enough.

[sceadugenga]

It's the picture of Alexander Hamilton, Joel...

[Joel Barlow]

Now Scea, you may find ol' Alex pretty, but I definately do NOT!

as for the Burmese (Myanmarese? nevermind, the ka-ratchagan are almost all Burmese),

they only care that the currency may have become illegitamate by being folded or something.

certainly not wise to blow one's nose with it first, before presenting...

[sceadugenga]

There you go, I had visions of the taking my 500B, buying a USD $10 for the government with it and pocketing the 200B change.

What a nasty suspicious mind I must have.

[Joel Barlow]

Once upon a time, thinking I'd visit Shan State's capital Keng Tung, I bought some US currency at the BKK Bank near the bridge.

They stappled the bills together.

I blissfully walked over the bridge onto the beetle-spit in front of the passport-control office, and asked about permission to do that.

But as my money had tiny holes in it, it wasn't considered any good.

But nevermind, they said - I could still buy FEC with Thai baht, and then change it back into Thai baht,

the currency in use there. For B4000, I could get B3000!

[my friend I]

[ They refused my $US 10. Only wanted Bt500.

your $10 bill must not have been pretty enough.

It was very pretty - no holes, not folded, new.

Tachileik is really looking like a dump in wet season. The highlight was 3 Thai monks bargaining with a young Burmese woman for a stack of porn dvds. The infamous monk from Phrae wasn't amongst them.

[sceadugenga]

Tachilek porn reputedly bears little resemblance to what is on the cover.

I've seen a stack of it at Thai immigration as well... I wonder how they know who has it and where it ends up after they confiscate it?

[my friend I]

The monks were testing every dvd on a tv in the shop. Must have been tipped off .

[lapoon]

Funny how the Viagra salesmen seem to target certain people.

They seldom bother me, must know they are wasting their time...

Don't run them down they have a hard job.

They sell against stiff competition !

They thought I was a soft touch.

[CMwanderer]

where do you get these crisp 10USD bills?

[sceadugenga]

They used to be a lady with a jewellery stall out the front of the bank near border immigration who would sell them.

I haven't seen her for a while but then I haven't really looked either.