New Thai-myanmar Border Checkpoint

[Maejo Man]

Below is a recent post from "News Clippings" Does anyone have any information on it yet?

New Thai-Myanmar border checkpoint promotes trade and tourism

MAE HONG SON: -- Caretaker Thai Interior Minister Kongsak Wanthana on Thursday opened a new border checkpoint between Thailand and Myanmar, to promote trade and tourism between the two countries.

--TNA 2006-04-13

What sort or tourism? Thai or foreign? Having scanned several maps, there seems to be a complete lack of infrastructure on the Myanmar side. i.e. NO roads or anything of note.

Has anyone (GT Rider) been there yet? If so what were their obsevarions? Is it classed as an official border crossing? i.e. With Thai immigration, or just another one of those sleepy border posts?

[sabaijai]

I crossed at Mae Sam Laep years ago, when the KNU still had their headquarters near there at Manerplaw. It wasn't an official crossing then. I doubt the crossing will be open to non-Thai or non-Myanmar nationals.

[davidgtr]

I was in Mae Sarieng a few nights ago & there was no talk of Mae Sam Laep being re-opened in the bar where I was indulging. The original post from TNA says that it is a “border checkpoint” = local border crossing only, so that counts out international tourism. From Mae Sarieng there is another local border checkpoint at Sao Hin, for importing cattle (& timber when convenient?)

What is happening there is that the area is relatively calm now & you can do boat trips on the Salween.

My guess is also that the border is being reopened for trade - to assist development of the EGAT sponsored dams on the Salween. They have to move equipment & and vehicles in for the dams, plus (my more cynical guess is that) there might soon be a lot of logs to bring across (perhaps even originating from the Salween Wildlife Sanctuary once upon a time?)

Mae Sam Laep used to be a real busy bustling little border trading port, when the Karens had control of the "other side." But it is real quiet now.

The road there R1194 is a beauty - tight, steep, narrow twisting - for motorcyclists,

but not so great for 4-wheels as you have to work at it.

Check it out now while it is still quiet.

[el jefe]

All of the tour operaters in Mae Sarieng offer boat trips down the Salawin River, either as a stand alone trip or as part of a multi-day trek. Most of them include a quick stop on the Myanmar side of the river. You can buy lunch and snacks and have your picture taken with some "Karen Army" soldiers but there are no border/immigration formalities. You are technically in Myanmar but no one seems to care. You're expected to get back on the boat and continue downriver stopping only on the Thai side after that. There wouldn't be much point in exploring further in that part of Myanmar. It won't count as a visa-run and you'd be in Myanmar illegally. Not a risk anyone would want to take.

[SamSipEt]

The road there R1194 is a beauty - tight, steep, narrow twisting - for motorcyclists, but not so great for 4-wheels as you have to work at it.

Check it out now while it is still quiet.

Agreed – beautiful scenery and still unusually green for this time of year. Also heard that they have ear marked an area for an airport just outside of Mae Sarieng.

Storms a couple of days ago caused wide spread power cuts due to the falling trees / branches bringing down the power lines. Never mind – can still buy candles to see by and bags of ice to keep the beer cold.

[sabaijai]

I visited Mae Sam Laep last week. There is no new border crossing here, either for nationals of Thailand and Myanmar or for other nationalities. There is a boat inspection station but no immigration and no customs. I asked local officials and they confirmed, no such border crossing. Another case of government misinformation ...

Took a pleasant one-hour boat ride down the Salween to Sop Moei, visited the KNU camp on the Myanmar side as well as the large Karen village on the Thai side. Well worth doing. The 45-km road from Mae Sariang to Mae Sam Laep is in fair conidition, sealed most of the way. MSL is mostly populated by Burmese nationals and most of the passengers on the public boats between Sop Moei and MSL appear to be Burmese as well. There's obviously a steady border trade happening but none of it appears to be officially sanctioned.

[asiaworld]

i just posted in travel forum, enquiring about visiting 'the neighbours', without filling up my already ful passport with stamps. So does anyone knows what is the update situation on that border region, and how hard is the road for a sedan car?! i just got back from driving from MaeSai>Golden triangle>to Nan, and some parts of the way, i've had, what undoubtely would win as the worst road in Thailand parts.. Even bikers would be pissed with it i recon..