Mae Sai/tachilek

[Ormgard]

On a one day Myanmar visa you can also travel around in actual Tachilek and a bit into the country. But what is there to see/do in actual Tachilek (apart from the usual offers of hedonistic pleasures)and beyond? Myself, I've never gotten past the market and a beer close to the bridge. Where do the tuk-tuks parked on the Myanmar side of the bridge want to take you (apart from the girlie places)?

If you are in Thailand on a three month visa expiring beginning of March, aren't you in jeopardy of getting just a month's visa extension from the day you return into Thailand?

Is it really true - which someone wrote on this forum - that you can cross into Myanmar WITHOUT the visa renewal bureaucracy, and the accompanying cost of USD 5, simply by leaving your passport when you exit Thailand? I suspect you must go through the complete visa renewal process, and then, as I said, what happens to your three month visa NOT marked "multiple entry"?

What's a good place to rent a big 4-wheel-drive car for a few days? There's a sizeable renting place just opposite Bo's...

[AsiaWolfie]

there is virtually NOTHING to do in Tachileik, I agree.... its the most DULL (and kinda depressing atmosphere there) place I have seen in Asia so far....

as for the passport: you leave the passport at the BURMESE immigration, not at the Thai immigration.... and yes, u will do all the usual VISA procedures with the THAI immigration. so, if you only have a SINGLE ENTRY, they will only give u a 30 day-tourist stamp when u come back from BURMA a few hours later.....

its still the cheapest way to do a Visa-run for those living in the North, as the day-VISA for BURMA is cheap compared to the Laos 30-Dollar-ripoff

[Ajarn]

I've spent a fair share of time in Tachilek.... There's not a lot to do, but I've always found something interesting from my explorations around town... Mostly with shopping, the two largest wats, and the various neighborhoods full of places to eat.

Your day-pass has clearly stamped, in English, 'good within the municipality of Tachilek', which limits your travels quite a bit. I've never seen uniformed police around, but I'm sure they're there.

[Limbo]

If you are in Thailand on a three month visa expiring beginning of March, aren't you in jeopardy of getting just a month's visa extension from the day you return into Thailand?

Is it really true - which someone wrote on this forum - that you can cross into Myanmar WITHOUT the visa renewal bureaucracy, and the accompanying cost of USD 5, simply by leaving your passport when you exit Thailand? I suspect you must go through the complete visa renewal process, and then, as I said, what happens to your three month visa NOT marked "multiple entry"?

If you don't have a multiple entry non immigrant visa but a straightforward three month visa you certainly end up with just another month.

I also heard about a short one day shopping trip to Tachilek without applying for a re-entry visa first. And that your passport would stay at Thai Immigration for that purpose, no stamps would be put in your passport and that you, after your return, just would 'live on' with your old visa.

Though you still would have to pay at the Burmese side.

Better to ask first!

The ideas of both Ajarn and AsiaWolfie are shared by most who visit Tachilek: Interesting in a way, but very depressing.

It is interesting to see dark sweatshops with girls working for probably only a few pennies a day.

It is interesting to see a school with two hundred dirty children in an open barn with two teachers sitting in a corner.

Yes, it is interesting to see misery.

But as AsiaWolfie points out: It won't make you happy.

The only advantage I see is that it makes you happy to be back in Chiang Rai again.

Of course, there is a lot of poverty in the villages here as well. Also here you see schools where children are sitting on the floor, no learning materials etc etc.

But in Thailand you see a lot of people who care, you see things improve. You don't get that feeling of hopelessness.

Limbo.

[Ajarn]

I also heard about a short one day shopping trip to Tachilek without applying for a re-entry visa first. And that your passport would stay at Thai Immigration for that purpose, no stamps would be put in your passport and that you, after your return, just would 'live on' with your old visa.

Though you still would have to pay at the Burmese side.

Better to ask first!

This scenario has occured for me- when I needed the stamp, too!

It is interesting to see a school with two hundred dirty children in an open barn with two teachers sitting in a corner.

Yes, it is interesting to see misery.

I've never seen anything of this sort in Tachilek.... And I've looked

Edited January 14, 2006 by Ajarn

[Limbo]

It is interesting to see a school with two hundred dirty children in an open barn with two teachers sitting in a corner.

Yes, it is interesting to see misery.

I've never seen anything of this sort in Tachilek.... And I've looked

You are right Ajarn, your observations are of a more recent date than mine. I realised that it is almost nine years ago I crossed the border last time (I have a retirement visa and don't have to leave the country). The impression must have been so strong that it seemed like yesterday when I wrote the lines above. The memory of it must have been revived when I saw schoolbusses with clearly well-to-do kids cross the bridge to Thailand to go to school here. Specially private quality schools in Maesai (like the Montessori) have probably more Burmese than Thai kids enlisted.

It would be a very good thing if this 'school' didn't exist anymore.

It was located in the middle of Tachilek. I hope it is not moved to the outskirts, out of sight.

Limbo.