Mae Sot (border)

[G54]

Next week I am going to Mae Sot for my visa run and wondering what is there?

Market? Duty free? Shops?

Or is it a dead place?

Thanks for any info.

[ajahnlau]

A market with about 100 small shops. They sell a lot of Chinese electronics. some canned and packaged foods,wood decorations and statues,toys,auto acc.,tools,loose stones,cheap jewelry,etc. Good prices.

[dave2]

Next week I am going to Mae Sot for my visa run and wondering what is there?

Market? Duty free? Shops?

Or is it a dead place?

G54 ... in answer to your questions.

Market ... yes but its the same as any market in thailand ...... nothing different

duty free ... No .... nothing ... zilch

shops ... ... yes but they are the same as all shops in thailand ...... nothing different

dead .... Yes ... after 7pm everything shuts ( apart from 7 / 11s ) .... no bars , no entertainment , no friendly girly bars ( well i didnt find any )

its a place to visit / see for a few days at most and the border is actually a couple of miles north of the town so you have to get there somehow ? .

enjoy pics : )

regards ....dave2

[apetley]

Don't be tempted to go further into Myawaddy. It's a dump as is the market there. You'll get hassled like crazy and prices are the same as in Mae Sot too.

Get your Burmese stamp and head right back across the bridge.

[G54]

Thanks for the information

Good photos Dave2.

Looks like a quick 'in and out'. Cheaper than Poipet and same distance for me in the car. Saves having a full 1 page visa in the passport too. Sick of the pages being filled at Poipet.

Mae Sot here I come LOL.

[G54]

I am glad I enquired about Mae Sot and for whoever made the original post somewhere deep in the visa section.

The journey from Nakhonsawan took 3 hours each way. Saved me a total of 3 hours or more over the usual trip to Poipet. Also saved near 250 kms on the round trip + 500 Baht, as said, for the visa. And 700 Baht cheaper than Poipet. No full page paper visa stamp in the passport, as Poipet would have given. Just a few small stamps.

The mountain road was a lot more scenic and definitely fun to drive, it was like a a 30 kms long snake. The people at the border were friendlier and I was even given flowers inside the immigration by some lady working there. No pushy people accosting you wanting money or trying to offer services I did not want as I walked over Friendship Bridge. The visa stamps took 10 minutes.

On the down side, no duty free as reported above and no market, but I can easily put up with that for the time saved in driving, also the paperwork saving in my passport.

[apetley]

I am glad I enquired about Mae Sot and for whoever made the original post somewhere deep in the visa section.

The journey from Nakhonsawan took 3 hours each way. Saved me a total of 3 hours or more over the usual trip to Poipet. Also saved near 250 kms on the round trip + 500 Baht, as said, for the visa. And 700 Baht cheaper than Poipet. No full page paper visa stamp in the passport, as Poipet would have given. Just a few small stamps.

The mountain road was a lot more scenic and definitely fun to drive, it was like a a 30 kms long snake. The people at the border were friendlier and I was even given flowers inside the immigration by some lady working there. No pushy people accosting you wanting money or trying to offer services I did not want as I walked over Friendship Bridge. The visa stamps took 10 minutes.

On the down side, no duty free as reported above and no market, but I can easily put up with that for the time saved in driving, also the paperwork saving in my passport.

You missed the market right under the bridge alongside the river.

It's not that big but has has some nice stuff.

[sking_is_leaving]

I disagree about Myawaddy.

Small Burmese town, a few temples, not developed, overall very different-looking to Thailand.

A couple of places to sit down and have a few beers - Myanmar draft beer is good!

[G54]

You missed the market right under the bridge alongside the river.

It's not that big but has has some nice stuff.

I did see the market as I walked across the bridge but the market was closed. Not a soul in sight. Maybe I'll have a look next time, if it is open. Agree it is small. Miniscule by comparison to the market near Poipet. Yet even that market has nothing really special. Same sort of prices can be had in many a market in Thailand.

But I will happily use this route now for the visa instead of going South.

[hellsbells]

There's also a really long walk from Mae Sot to the Burmese side. I didn't like that bridge, not after getting used to the nice short distance trek at Mai Sai. My visa expires in a week or so, and it's Mai Sai for me everytime.