$10 or 500 baht visa fee on the Burmese side of the bridge. Obviously, paying $10 saves money for the farang - roughly 170 baht.

However, Burmese uniformed guys at their little office will turn down all but the most perfect dollar bills. I used to think they were incredibly picky - and once got them to accept one of my bills they had dissed, by being annoyingly insistant.

More recently, a friend went with two crisp $10 bills and the guards wouldn't accept either one. You'd almost need a microscope to see the flaws - a persiod-sized ink spot on the edge of one, and a tiny tear in the side of another.

It seems clear that, although the official policy is in place (of accepting us$10), the guards know 500 baht has more value and won't accept US dollars - unless perhaps they're brand new bills.

Also, banks and money changers in Chiang Rai most often say they don't have dollars to exchange (when in fact they do) - though Thai Military bank (corner of Sanpanad, near Wiang Inn Hotel) is ok. The downside is TMB (said they) only had those two $10 bills - and though they looked very clean to me, the bills didn't do the job.

This all happened on the 20th Dec.

This all happened on the 20th Dec.

terrible! after all it's Christmas time. how could they be so cruel?

This all happened on the 20th Dec.

terrible! after all it's Christmas time. how could they be so cruel?

Why act so difficult....everybody knows that the customs overthere accept THB 500 better than USD. So...? Just be prepaired.

Don't you understand? they've been accused of money laundering, and so don't want any money they might need to clean up!

Once I was going to visit Keng Tung, and bought $150 at BKK Bank. They stapled the two bills necessary together! So they weren't perfect, weren't accepted (nevermind, the Burmese said, just buy FEC with baht, then we'll buy it back from you for 3/4 of what you paid for it...)

I was pretty impressed with the thread on how nice the border officials at Mae Sai are. Everybody's on the make (Farang too - for those who haven't noticed...)...

- still haven't made it to Keng Tung - :D

Don't you understand? they've been accused of money laundering, and so don't want any money they might need to clean up!

Once I was going to visit Keng Tung, and bought $150 at BKK Bank. They stapled the two bills necessary together! So they weren't perfect, weren't accepted (nevermind, the Burmese said, just buy FEC with baht, then we'll buy it back from you for 3/4 of what you paid for it...)

I was pretty impressed with the thread on how nice the border officials at Mae Sai are. Everybody's on the make (Farang too - for those who haven't noticed...)...

- still haven't made it to Keng Tung -

sabai sabai

If they post a sign saying they accept us dollars, they should accept dollars.

If they won't accept dollars, they should amend their policy. that's all.

If they post a sign saying they accept us dollars, they should accept dollars.

If they won't accept dollars, they should amend their policy. that's all.

This is Thailand...not the western world. Therefore I said: sabai sabai and accept this beautiful country as it is. We are guest....and things are different from the western world....we have to accept this. (I don't mind, do you?)

....well in this case it AIN'T Thailand, so we don't need to accept it my friend.

....well in this case it AIN'T Thailand, so we don't need to accept it my friend.

Okay, than do'nt accept this, but don't complain when you cannot enter....

This all happened on the 20th Dec.

terrible! after all it's Christmas time. how could they be so cruel?

The monk-killing, crowd-shooting, raping, murdering, sadistic Junta cruel?

Never!!!