Mae Sai/Tachilek Border Info

[Will27]

Completed my border run on the weekend. Same old, same old. 500 baht, no pics, (I'm Non-o spouse) over and back in less that 20 minutes. Only difference was there was a sign on the Thai entry side saying how much money you needed to show you had for the different types of visa. I only thought about that after I had gone through (I wasn't asked to show any), so I can't remember how much the funds were. The sign may have been there before, but I failed to notice it. Easiest crossing in Thailand by a country miles. Cheer

They will take us$10 if the bill is like-new with no flaws. They sometimes also take $$'s for a VIP/day pass. It depends on who's running the tiny Imm. office on the Burmese side. BTW, they're usually in good cheer (more so than Thai Imm authorities on the other side of the bridge) and are fun to jive with. Try it.

The sign mentioning 'Tourists have to show 10,000 Baht' is ridiculous. For starters, it was only enforced the first week it was put up, and it's been there several years. Secondly, it would indicate to would-be thieves in Tachilek that each tourist walking around has at least Bt.10,000 cash in their pocket. Fortunately, Tachilek has no history of rip-offs that I know of. I feel as safe walking around there as anywhere I've ever strolled. Even then roughest-looking young dudes hanging out on street corners, will grin and get eye contact, when you acknowledge them.

The earlier sign, which said the same: "Please Show (next line) 10,000......" was taken down because people like myself drew graffiti on it.

When entering back in to Thailand, there's still the dumb-ass policy of requiring each tourist to stroll to the tiny desk with the 2 surly young men - who will pass you an entry form - without eye contact or any words. Just rude, if you ask me. Plus, they still can't figure out that putting a little sign at the fill-out-form desk would be helpful (better would be to simply have the blank forms at the fill-out desk). So what happens is: about half of all farang who go through there, spend at least several moments wondering what to do. Thai officialdom is great at causing confusion and inconvenience when it wants to.

That's why it's advisable to have a few spare arrival cards so you can prefill them out

and avoid the queues.

Having said that, the last 2 times I've been, it's been like a ghost town

with little or no waiting.

It's not just for tourists either, it's for all people on visas.

[boomerangutang]

I agree there are waaaaaay less farang tourists now, than prior months/years. Thai Imm Dept, with it's propensity for micro-managing things, has successfully kicked the Golden Goose over to neighboring countries. It's the little people, like vendors, who suffer most. Fat cats, like resort owners, can just go to the bank and take out more loans, or get hand-outs from rich relatives.

[ichingguy]

every time I visit the Myanmar side, I always ask when will a regular visa be issued here so I can fly to Pagan, Mandalay and Yangon. So everyone should keep asking and maybe it will change to the openness one would expect from a more civilized society

[heybruce]

A friend told me last week that Mae Sai was flooded. There's no mention here, which is encouraging, but I'd like confirmation one way or the other. Is the border open? Are shops on the Tachileik side flooded? I plan to go next week.

[villagefarang]

As someone mentioned in this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/758868-is-the-immigration-on-the-bridge-affected-by-floods/#entry8363956 it might not be a bad idea to call immigration and find out from the source.

[ImageDude]

A friend told me last week that Mae Sai was flooded. There's no mention here, which is encouraging, but I'd like confirmation one way or the other. Is the border open? Are shops on the Tachileik side flooded? I plan to go next week.

I have been over to Tachilek today. Everything appears to be back to normal. The market stalls that where flooded out are now dried out, cleaned and open for business some are selling off flood damaged goods cheaply. However Mae Sai itself is very quiet, very few people about.

[heybruce]

A friend told me last week that Mae Sai was flooded. There's no mention here, which is encouraging, but I'd like confirmation one way or the other. Is the border open? Are shops on the Tachileik side flooded? I plan to go next week.

I have been over to Tachilek today. Everything appears to be back to normal. The market stalls that where flooded out are now dried out, cleaned and open for business some are selling off flood damaged goods cheaply. However Mae Sai itself is very quiet, very few people about.

Thanks for the report. Hopefully it can stay dry one more week.

[villagefarang]

Mae Sai is flooded again and friends who live there say it is worse than the last flood not too long ago.

[heybruce]

Mae Sai is flooded again and friends who live there say it is worse than the last flood not too long ago.

That's not good, I'm already committed to go on the 23rd. By flooded do you mean the border is closed, the border is open but some or all of the market is closed, or the border and market are open but some parts are under water?

If you get more information please post it here. Thanks.

Edited September 18, 2014 by heybruce

[boomerangutang]

I was there yesterday. The border is open for pedestrians. It was closed (for awhile?) for any vehicles except a backhoe which was taking debris out from the up-river side of the bridge. In the late morning, water was up to the bottom of the bridge tarmac, almost overflowing it. There's a slight chance the bridge could be washed away. The road on the Mae Sai side (just west of the bridge) was a meter deep and flowing like a side river. The Tachilek tourist market was over waist-high water. Besides not being able to hawk their wares, many vendors had their stuff ruined.

[heybruce]

I was there yesterday. The border is open for pedestrians. It was closed (for awhile?) for any vehicles except a backhoe which was taking debris out from the up-river side of the bridge. In the late morning, water was up to the bottom of the bridge tarmac, almost overflowing it. There's a slight chance the bridge could be washed away. The road on the Mae Sai side (just west of the bridge) was a meter deep and flowing like a side river. The Tachilek tourist market was over waist-high water. Besides not being able to hawk their wares, many vendors had their stuff ruined.

According to the Bangkok Post the border is closed today. I can't post a link but if you search "Floods shut border crossing" you should be able to find the story.

I'm sorry for the vendor's losses. I know a lot of what they sell is bootleg crap, but it's how they feed their families.

[boomerangutang]

I was there yesterday. The border is open for pedestrians. It was closed (for awhile?) for any vehicles except a backhoe which was taking debris out from the up-river side of the bridge. In the late morning, water was up to the bottom of the bridge tarmac, almost overflowing it. There's a slight chance the bridge could be washed away. The road on the Mae Sai side (just west of the bridge) was a meter deep and flowing like a side river. The Tachilek tourist market was over waist-high water. Besides not being able to hawk their wares, many vendors had their stuff ruined.

According to the Bangkok Post the border is closed today. I can't post a link but if you search "Floods shut border crossing" you should be able to find the story.

I'm sorry for the vendor's losses. I know a lot of what they sell is bootleg crap, but it's how they feed their families.

To me it's not so much what they sell. Even high class hotels pack their meals with MSG and recirculate mildew-laden air in their rooms. Already in Tachilek, hundreds of vendors were put out of business by destroying the largest local market (not the tourist market, though that's shut down now with flooding). A friend on mine, in Tachilek, his wife goes nearly every day to Mae Sai to buy a few pieces of kids' clothing, then taken the stuff back to Tachilek to try to sell. It's not working. They just moved out of their tattered apartment with their 2 little boys, and I can't find where they went. The landlord just waved his hand and said, "they went to another town." Even when things are going good, many folks are just barely eking out a living. So when floods or urban renewal come along, they're out of the loop. Maybe sleeping under a bridge, who knows. The uncounted/expendable tens of thousands we don't hear about.

[heybruce]

Any new information?

[heybruce]

I did my Mae Sai visa/shopping run today. The border is open and the market is open. Foot traffic seemed a little lower than average, vehicle traffic seemed above average. The river was down to safe levels, there was evidence of recent flooding in the market and some shelves were empty, but otherwise everything was normal.

A new trick for getting Burmese Immigration to (maybe) accept $10 US instead of insisting on 500 baht: I tried, as usual, to pay with a very crisp, clean $10 bill and was told, as usual, they needed Thai baht. I then offered to pay with a 1000 baht note and they agreed to take the $10 instead. I assume they were out of change. I intend to do this every time and suggest others to do the same; the more people who pay with 1000 baht notes the more likely they are to run out of change and accept $10.

The only other thing out of the ordinary was that the songthaew I took from the border to the bus station was stopped at a police check point and ID's checked. No big deal, I've just never had this happen to me inside Mae Sai before.

Summary: Everything pretty much normal, at least until the next heavy rain or other problem.

[pomchop]

I've done the mae sai border perhaps a dozen or more times and have never ever had even a hint of refusal to accept a nice crisp $10 usd. Not sure why others have problems...maybe I am just lucky.

[ripstanley]

Travelled to Mae Sai today. Did not cross the border. There was a large number of vehicles doing it though. Went to the markets near the border crossing. We parked in our regular parking. The boss showed us where the 2 flood levels were in September. Saw a lot of stall holders on that level were still trying to sell water damaged goods. The cover of that area is missing. Once we climbed to the upper level the good being sold were okay. There is a bit of construction near the temple but unsure what it will be.

[Jip99]

I've done the mae sai border perhaps a dozen or more times and have never ever had even a hint of refusal to accept a nice crisp $10 usd. Not sure why others have problems...maybe I am just lucky.

I visited last week. Got the 30 Baht pass for the missus (+ 10 Baht fee on entry) and I proffered a $10 note at immigration. Smiling face, note accepted without question or comment and stamped in and out at the same time.

I have to say that compared to other border points I have experienced Thai/Cambodia, Thai/Laos, I found the Burmese immigration officials to be friendly and welcoming.

[Tomtomtom69]

Well remember what George Carlin said: the planet invented us to create plastic, which it could not create on its own. That's the final response to the lefty environmentalists.

I'm curious if you've ever been up to China. Environmentalists would certainly be offended at what is going on up there. Put it this way: for every bag recycled in the west, 10-20 if not 100 plastic bags are thrown directly into the earth in Asia. Nothing they or we can do about it. But I think the Earth is smarter than we mere mortals and has the ability to OFF us if we pose a genuine threat to its existence. Worry not.

So about Tachileik. You can see direct insults to the organic matrix there. But it is nice enough in terms of people, culture, etc., to stay for a time. Very few westerns do but I have not found anywhere in northern Thailand that just takes a westerner in like Tachileik does. I'm in love with the place and will be back.

I have lived in China and unlike in Thailand, the government there actively discourages the use of plastic bags. It's a huge country so they know they need to be environmentally conscious, since their actions make a much bigger impact than Thailand ever will. If you go to any supermarket or store in China, you will need to bring your own cloth bag or a box to carry your goods, such as groceries. Such bags are also available for sale at the cashiers. Flimsy plastic bags that are much weaker and smaller than their Thai counterparts, if available, are sold to the customer. They don't give away bags for free.

I remember sitting at a restaurant overlooking the Sai River and Myanmar one evening in Mae Sai in 2011. The restaurant owner threw bag after bag of garbage into the river. Absolutely filthy. Tachilek itself could also be cleaner as could Myawady, the Myanmar border town opposite Mae Sot.

I'm not saying that China is a heaven of cleanliness, but the government is taking the right steps. Another example is the ban of motorcycles and scooters in city areas of most major Chinese cities. Only electric or e-bikes are allowed. So if you can't afford a car and don't want to walk or catch a bus, that's your only choice. Even though they aren't very efficient but the Chinese have to live with them. I don't see the day when similar policies would be enacted in Thailand.

[Tomtomtom69]

I did my Mae Sai visa/shopping run today. The border is open and the market is open. Foot traffic seemed a little lower than average, vehicle traffic seemed above average. The river was down to safe levels, there was evidence of recent flooding in the market and some shelves were empty, but otherwise everything was normal.

A new trick for getting Burmese Immigration to (maybe) accept $10 US instead of insisting on 500 baht: I tried, as usual, to pay with a very crisp, clean $10 bill and was told, as usual, they needed Thai baht. I then offered to pay with a 1000 baht note and they agreed to take the $10 instead. I assume they were out of change. I intend to do this every time and suggest others to do the same; the more people who pay with 1000 baht notes the more likely they are to run out of change and accept $10.

The only other thing out of the ordinary was that the songthaew I took from the border to the bus station was stopped at a police check point and ID's checked. No big deal, I've just never had this happen to me inside Mae Sai before.

Summary: Everything pretty much normal, at least until the next heavy rain or other problem.

No need to do that. They always accept US$10 without argument. You just tell them that's all you've got if asked, which is unlikely. I went there in April on a VIP pass and paid the US$10 after being told 500 Baht. There was no further word from them or me after I pulled out the 10 dollars, apart from a "chey su tin ba deh" meaning "thank you" from me after my VIP pass was stamped and returned to me.

[nellyp]

Well remember what George Carlin said: the planet invented us to create plastic, which it could not create on its own. That's the final response to the lefty environmentalists.

I'm curious if you've ever been up to China. Environmentalists would certainly be offended at what is going on up there. Put it this way: for every bag recycled in the west, 10-20 if not 100 plastic bags are thrown directly into the earth in Asia. Nothing they or we can do about it. But I think the Earth is smarter than we mere mortals and has the ability to OFF us if we pose a genuine threat to its existence. Worry not.

So about Tachileik. You can see direct insults to the organic matrix there. But it is nice enough in terms of people, culture, etc., to stay for a time. Very few westerns do but I have not found anywhere in northern Thailand that just takes a westerner in like Tachileik does. I'm in love with the place and will be back.

I have lived in China and unlike in Thailand, the government there actively discourages the use of plastic bags. It's a huge country so they know they need to be environmentally conscious, since their actions make a much bigger impact than Thailand ever will. If you go to any supermarket or store in China, you will need to bring your own cloth bag or a box to carry your goods, such as groceries. Such bags are also available for sale at the cashiers. Flimsy plastic bags that are much weaker and smaller than their Thai counterparts, if available, are sold to the customer. They don't give away bags for free.

I remember sitting at a restaurant overlooking the Sai River and Myanmar one evening in Mae Sai in 2011. The restaurant owner threw bag after bag of garbage into the river. Absolutely filthy. Tachilek itself could also be cleaner as could Myawady, the Myanmar border town opposite Mae Sot.

I'm not saying that China is a heaven of cleanliness, but the government is taking the right steps. Another example is the ban of motorcycles and scooters in city areas of most major Chinese cities. Only electric or e-bikes are allowed. So if you can't afford a car and don't want to walk or catch a bus, that's your only choice. Even though they aren't very efficient but the Chinese have to live with them. I don't see the day when similar policies would be enacted in Thailand.

I'm not being funny mate, but you really need to look into pollution and China. They are an utter disgrace.

[boomerangutang]

At the tiny Imm office on the Tachilek side; it's easier to get 10 and 20 dollar bills accepted than before. I think it's partly due to the realization that tourism is waaaaay down, so they opt to be easier-going.

One odd thing: I never see the same officials in the Imm office. I imagine a person could pass through there 200 days in a row, and there would be a different crew in there each day. There must be some serious rotating of personnel going on.

To trip up to Keng Tung or Mengla still requires a certified tour guide, arrangements made at the other tiny office just north/next to the Imm office. Bt.1,000/day fee required. I try telling them how archaic that rule is, but they just smile and good-naturedly wave me away. I know they don't make the rules, but perhaps they can holler up the chain of command - to try and get a reasonable policy enacted.

I've thought of visiting way up north to Putao and beyond (SE Asia's highest mountain), but again, the Burmese junta is still restrictive regarding allowing farang to travel unfettered. The Putao trip requires advance permit and booking with a registered trekking outfit. However, a friend/guide at Tachilek tells me I could just take the train or bus up there, and I wouldn't get hassled. I don't know. It's a long way to go, on the chance they'd tell me to split.

Edited November 20, 2014 by boomerangutang

[Beng]

Completed my border run on the weekend. Same old, same old. 500 baht, no pics, (I'm Non-o spouse) over and back in less that 20 minutes. Only difference was there was a sign on the Thai entry side saying how much money you needed to show you had for the different types of visa. I only thought about that after I had gone through (I wasn't asked to show any), so I can't remember how much the funds were. The sign may have been there before, but I failed to notice it. Easiest crossing in Thailand by a country miles. Cheer

They will take us$10 if the bill is like-new with no flaws. They sometimes also take $$'s for a VIP/day pass. It depends on who's running the tiny Imm. office on the Burmese side. BTW, they're usually in good cheer (more so than Thai Imm authorities on the other side of the bridge) and are fun to jive with. Try it.

The sign mentioning 'Tourists have to show 10,000 Baht' is ridiculous. For starters, it was only enforced the first week it was put up, and it's been there several years. Secondly, it would indicate to would-be thieves in Tachilek that each tourist walking around has at least Bt.10,000 cash in their pocket. Fortunately, Tachilek has no history of rip-offs that I know of. I feel as safe walking around there as anywhere I've ever strolled. Even then roughest-looking young dudes hanging out on street corners, will grin and get eye contact, when you acknowledge them.

The earlier sign, which said the same: "Please Show (next line) 10,000......" was taken down because people like myself drew graffiti on it.

When entering back in to Thailand, there's still the dumb-ass policy of requiring each tourist to stroll to the tiny desk with the 2 surly young men - who will pass you an entry form - without eye contact or any words. Just rude, if you ask me. Plus, they still can't figure out that putting a little sign at the fill-out-form desk would be helpful (better would be to simply have the blank forms at the fill-out desk). So what happens is: about half of all farang who go through there, spend at least several moments wondering what to do. Thai officialdom is great at causing confusion and inconvenience when it wants to.

That's why it's advisable to have a few spare arrival cards so you can prefill them out

and avoid the queues.

Having said that, the last 2 times I've been, it's been like a ghost town

with little or no waiting.

It's not just for tourists either, it's for all people on visas.

Yep, I always used to have spare cards. Might be worth going up there again.

[pomchop]

Was in Mae Sai yesterday...crossed into Myanmar and paid with nice newish ten dollar US bill with zero problems....or of course you can pay with a 500 baht note if you want.

[brianmarinus]

I ws there two days ago-went across thebridge and back-filled out the slip but not good enough the officer said-3 times..as I had broken glasses and was unable to see a thing which I try to explain the officer but he diddent care and just laughed at me-told me to call my wife which zI did and together we made it,so nect time Bangkok to get my retirement visa back.

[calvinyong]

My wife is just back from a visit to her grandmother half-way between Tachilek and Keng Tung. The situation there is

horrible, with extreme poverty and malnutrition, rampant drug use, mixing poisons (including rat and insect poison) with the speed and heroin being manufactured (she has somewhat distant relatives who have been working doing the mixing) and animal disease (buffaloes, cows and pigs frothing at the mouth).

The international media neglect to report on this, perhaps to help preserve some (unwarranted) optimism for international investment in Myanmar, but Shan Herald Agency for News reports that drugs seized recently were burned by The Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) seized drugs on Sunday, 7 April, on the Sino-Burmese border township of Namkham (according to the SSA South, as the RCSS/SSA is commonly known), including 55,171 methamphetamine tablets, 6 ½ viss (10.4 kg) of opium and one penicillin bottle of heroin. With drugs seized earlier, including more than 130,000 methamphetamine pills, they were turned over to Chinese authorities, said an SSA South officer. A burning ceremony took place at the Nawng Ma Tai base, witnessed by 486 invited people. Most of the yaba (methamphetamine) pills were red WY (10-15 pills per ¥ 100) and reddish brown 88/1 (6-8 pills per ¥ 100), explained Lt-Col Zawm Mong, commander of the Nawng Ma Tai-based 701st Task Force. Namkham township is one of the most notorious

drug producers and users in Shan State.

“Drugs are more dangerous to the people than all war weapons,” Sao Mao Hsai, deputy to Lt-Col Zawm Mong, told the audience.

SHAN also reported that due to recent clashes between Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) and the Burma army in the Loi Zay region, Tangyan Township in northern Shan State, thousands of local people in the region are fleeing to the township seat.

At the end of March during the fight between SSPP/SSA and Burma army’s Infantry Battalions (IB) 33 and 291 and Light

Infantry Battalion (LIB) 322 intensified. The Burma army units were attacking SSA bases along Loi Zay range; they shelled the SSPP/SSA bases, also firing “knowingly”, according to sources, into farmlands and villages. It is reported that the shells landed in villages resulting in many losses. Following the shelling, Burma army soldiers also confiscated and looted villagers, a Lahu militiaman told SHAN.

My wife says lots of kids have weapons, with which to hunt for food in the forests. Young girls, however, often do not have underwear. Hi

Hi, I would like to know regarding the tachilek immigration, your wife is Burmese some question need you advice below.

1) when she went back to tachilek from bolder of mae sai, did her need to pay any tax in tachilek immigration? or any question problem in tachilek immigration?

2) she holding Thailand visa, she need to apply Thailand visa when she come back to Thailand?

im Malaysian my wife is Burmese. in this Feb I will bring her to tachilek. I scare any troubler in tachilek immigration. i need your advice...thank you very much

[CP3]

My advice is to use her Myanmar IC to cross the border and leave the passport alone(do not bring along when crossing). Probably should cost <=500thb for her to cross and her Thai visa will be left intact.

[thomasrussell]

Hi

I intend to go to Chiang Rai as usual this year but someone told me it was no longer possible to get a VIP entry in Mae Sai to visit Tachilek. Is this true? I don't want to go there and loose the remainder of my 60 day Visa.

Has anyone been there recently and got a VIP entry? I haven't been since 2013 so I'm not up to date.

Thanks for replying,

Thomas

[boomerangutang]

Hi

I intend to go to Chiang Rai as usual this year but someone told me it was no longer possible to get a VIP entry in Mae Sai to visit Tachilek. Is this true? I don't want to go there and loose the remainder of my 60 day Visa.

Has anyone been there recently and got a VIP entry? I haven't been since 2013 so I'm not up to date.

Thanks for replying,

Thomas

That's the first I've heard of that. I don't think it's true. There may be some restriction on countries which qualify. I can't promise 100%, but I strongly suspect that if you go up there with your passport and two photocopies of the main page, you'll get the VIP pass. It costs Bt.100 on the Thai side. It's issued on the Thai side, so in the very unlikely case they don't allow it, you haven't gone across the bridge, so you're not in legal limbo.

Make sure, when you get to the window on the Thai side, as you're starting the border crossing, that you make it clear you just want the VIP pass. I say that because it's happened a very few rare times, that the Thai official will perfunctorily stamp the passport she/he's been given, because the farang didn't know to make it clear from the get-go.

As a side issue: The new kiosk on the Thai side is impersonal. No surprise, but unless you're 4' tall or bend your knees down low, you can't see the official and he/she can't see more than your chest. On the entry side, back to Thailand, it's similar, but not quite as impersonal. In contrast, both going and coming back from Burma, you've got human beings, and no walls between. It feels like you're dealing with people, in Burma, whereas in Thailand, you get the feeling they're trying to become automatons, which makes the tourist feel similar. Plus (and I've bellyached about this before on this thread), there's still the minor hassle on the Thai entry side of the entry cards not being readily available.

For veteran border crossers like myself, it's only a bit of a hassle, and the guys behind the counter never smile or look at any of the farang in the eye. Again, it's all quite impersonal. Most farang border crossers are first timers, and more often than not, they're a bit flummoxed for awhile, while trying figure out what to do at the impasse. There are no helpful signs posted, and certainly no official out there to assist. Speaking of signs, there's still that silly sign requiring all farang show Bt.20,000. It was only checked upon several (11?) years ago when the stupid law first showed its fuzzy head. The sign shows on the entry-to-Thailand kiosk, not on the departure kiosk - as if all farang are supposed to tune in (mind-read?) to what Thai officialdom is thinking. It's also a heads up to any unscrupulous guys on the Burmese side, thinking: "wow, every farang walking around Tachilek has at least 20,000 baht cash in their pocket!"

Thankfully, the stupid rule is not enforced (so why keep the sign up for over a decade?), and Burmese are rarely thieves (I haven't heard of that problem, in scores of visits to Tachilek). In contrast, I've had problems with things being stolen in Thailand, but that's another story (actually several stories) for another day. Sorry for the long post.

[KC 71]

Does anybody know if the border will be open on Feb 19th(Chinease New Year) ?

I am assuming it will be

[boomerangutang]

Does anybody know if the border will be open on Feb 19th(Chinease New Year) ?

I am assuming it will be

It's supposed to open 365 days/year. The only time I've seen it closed was A. when there were border skirmishes between Thailand and Burma (about 13 yrs ago?) for several weeks, and last August it was closed for most of a day, because flood waters were nearly going over the bridge.