Is Mae Sai worth a shopping visit

[vagabond48]

My wife and I are doing a short trip around the Golden Triangle by car. We'll be passing near Mae Sai so I was wondering if there is anything worth buying on the Thai side of the border (liquor, food stuff, dry goods, etc.) that would be a lot cheaper than CM.

Thanks

[MESmith]

Booze is cheaper across the border at the duty free shop just over the bridge on the left. On the Thai side, booze is duty paid. Lots of things are cheaper in the Thai market at Mae sai. I buy Chinese Lego for the kids. Way cheaper than CM shops. Basically, anything that comes from China is cheaper than in Chiang Mai.

[Oscar2]

i always stock up on good quality DVD's (on the Burmese side) from one shop in particular. Chinese but impossible to tell! they used to be 50 Baht but may have gone up.

[LarryBird]

If you got a Thai bird, she'll take good care of you if you let her spend some time over on the Burmese side.

[anto]

Yes ,alcholic drinks especially for variety and cost .Great quality blue ray DVDs for 50 baht each .Cigars also if you in to that .Thats about all i buy there .

[Thighlander]

fake cigs, liquor, and wine......cigars are fake, also, unless they allow ants to crawl on a million thb worth of cuban cigars.

[mccw]

Burmese side:

DVDs as said

But also this time I took a closer look some handy craft shop I always pass on way to DVD shop, (turn right just after the check point and down the steep steps and strait on on the left), they have amazing carvings like what one sees in baan tawai but sale for around half the price of more. I bought a quality carved marble ellephant for 800bht, about 8 tall by 11inches long by 3 wide. not sure what it would cost in Thailand but it struck me as a great deal anyway. Super cool to the touch.

Was weighty that n with all the DVDs aswell, so sent the missus, with kids & bags on a samlor push bike back over the border, price 100bht - another bargain in my book but I'm sure some people would argue it should be only 50 or some thing, but what the hell; mans need to make a living.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[davehowden]

i always stock up on good quality DVD's (on the Burmese side) from one shop in particular. Chinese but impossible to tell! they used to be 50 Baht but may have gone up.

I bought 10 for 300 baht, good value, even if some of the sound tracks listed on the sleeve are not actually available.

[chuang]

i always stock up on good quality DVD's (on the Burmese side) from one shop in particular. Chinese but impossible to tell! they used to be 50 Baht but may have gone up.

I bought 10 for 300 baht, good value, even if some of the sound tracks listed on the sleeve are not actually available.

During last visit bought about 2000 baht of DVD and drama series like Nikita, Walking Dead etc....drama series are cheaper at about 20 baht a disc..nice oldies like The Ten Commandments/Gone with the wind/Ben Hur etc etc...

[anonymouse]

Pretty much as the others say; DVD's, Toys, Alcohol, haven't checked out the handicrafts

It's worth a trip across, lots of guys hanging around offering tours if you fancy that, I like to sit and enjoy a couple of beers at the duty free place on the bridge, last time I was up there in November enjoyed a nice stout and a wheat beer at 65 bath each.

[hellodolly]

Sounds like nothing on the Thai side.

Except I have had some of the best tasting chicken ever off a food cart. It is during the day as she had to return to Burma early.

I wonder what people would have said if you had asked about what to buy on the Burmese side of the border.

[MESmith]

Sounds like nothing on the Thai side.

Loads of stuff to buy on the Thai side, but not booze & probably not dvds. I didn't realise people still bought them now that decent internet is available in Thailand.

I never go into the Burmese side anymore, apart from the duty free shop for beer & wine. Rest of the shopping is on the Thai side.

[techboy]

_{Yes. In my opinion Maesai is better than the big "Thaladt Indochine" in Mukdahan, Isaan. Five hundred baht to walk over to the Tachileik side but you can make up for it fast with bargains. Lots of knock-off smart phones over there btw- I know people who have been happy and some that got pure junk. If you have a Thai SIM it will work on that side so test the merchandise.}

_{I hesitate to talk Masai up too much because I don't want prices to go up. I love the place. If you are into markets there is everything from wristwatches that shoot laser beams to fresh fruit to Bluetooth minispeakers to cheap underwear. There is also a friendly and efficient post office near the border crossing on Maesai side. Outside of shopping there is the temple, Wat Doi Waw. Great exercise to climb up 200 steps to get there or walk the steep roadway (usually someone hanging around will take you up on a motorbike for a few Baht). Beautiful at the top in terms of Buddhist work and the view- also an elevated observation area exists.}

_{Most places are not heated so if you stay overnight be sure the place gives you extra blankets. It gets cold at night at this time of year.}

[Oscar2]

i always stock up on good quality DVD's (on the Burmese side) from one shop in particular. Chinese but impossible to tell! they used to be 50 Baht but may have gone up.

I bought 10 for 300 baht, good value, even if some of the sound tracks listed on the sleeve are not actually available.

During last visit bought about 2000 baht of DVD and drama series like Nikita, Walking Dead etc....drama series are cheaper at about 20 baht a disc..nice oldies like The Ten Commandments/Gone with the wind/Ben Hur etc etc...

i don't know what you get for 20 or 30 Baht but the shop i buy from has been there for years and as another poster concurs - charges 50 Baht per disc. they are of the highest quality. i have bought many and never had a dud. the packaging is identical to the real thing. the lady is very nice and speaks 4 or more languages. if you get to know her she will give you her email address and you can correspond with her and place an order if there is something special you are looking for. she will get it for you but sometimes it takes a month or so. located on the left side about 1/3 the way down? after you walk down the stairs into the market. the largest shop selling DVD's.

[Deez]

fake cigs, liquor, and wine......cigars are fake, also, unless they allow ants to crawl on a million thb worth of cuban cigars.

Is the liquor fake at the duty free?

[Frank James]

So if you buy a bunch of whatever on the Burma side, can you just walk it back into Thailand without a problem at Customs? Is there a limit, in terms of perceived value in baht?

[mccw]

So if you buy a bunch of whatever on the Burma side, can you just walk it back into Thailand without a problem at Customs? Is there a limit, in terms of perceived value in baht?

I never had a problem, but my wife was stopped 1time about the DVDs and they say "why don't you support Thailand?" And she say "I buy Thai movies in Thailand and support thai; I only buy Hollywood in Myanmar- why you support America?" Then they let her through with the lot

They put up a sign about no fake products but not seen or heard anyone loosing them. I think the security is there for drugs.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Oscar2]

So if you buy a bunch of whatever on the Burma side, can you just walk it back into Thailand without a problem at Customs? Is there a limit, in terms of perceived value in baht?

pretty much so, within reason. when i was there recently there was a guy i met. he and his mate and an older Thai woman all had backpacks on filled to the brim with stuff he had bought. they were not stopped at all and the guy told me he makes the run twice a month and has never been asked to open the backpacks. he's been doing it for more than 5 years. of course some of the Thai buyers are stocking shops and have a 100 kg. worth of stuff and they just queue up at the queue to declare stuff.

[mccw]

(I walked through with thousands value in DVDs before; not sure about official limits though. Maybe with a truck load of teak they would have something to say

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dave2]

re

the border

needs pics of the border !

here ya go

dave2

[anonymouse]

Sounds like nothing on the Thai side.

Loads of stuff to buy on the Thai side, but not booze & probably not dvds. I didn't realise people still bought them now that decent internet is available in Thailand.

I never go into the Burmese side anymore, apart from the duty free shop for beer & wine. Rest of the shopping is on the Thai side.

It's worth it for the box sets, at the price something like a box set of the last season of Breaking Bad was around 160 baht, they sell the same in Gad Suan Gaow for over 500. saves on downloading huge files on your computer.

[marioc]

No, it is not

[MESmith]

Sounds like nothing on the Thai side.

Loads of stuff to buy on the Thai side, but not booze & probably not dvds. I didn't realise people still bought them now that decent internet is available in Thailand.

I never go into the Burmese side anymore, apart from the duty free shop for beer & wine. Rest of the shopping is on the Thai side.

It's worth it for the box sets, at the price something like a box set of the last season of Breaking Bad was around 160 baht, they sell the same in Gad Suan Gaow for over 500. saves on downloading huge files on your computer.

I'll stick with downloading. 160 bt is 8 days internet connection. mkv files aren't huge, vob files are.

[BlackArtemis]

I got stopped for having 2 bottles of alcohol, had to dump one.

I know others get through fine.

[hellodolly]

Sounds like nothing on the Thai side.

Loads of stuff to buy on the Thai side, but not booze & probably not dvds. I didn't realise people still bought them now that decent internet is available in Thailand.

I never go into the Burmese side anymore, apart from the duty free shop for beer & wine. Rest of the shopping is on the Thai side.

It's worth it for the box sets, at the price something like a box set of the last season of Breaking Bad was around 160 baht, they sell the same in Gad Suan Gaow for over 500. saves on downloading huge files on your computer.

Does any one think he said on the Thai side because of visa problems. If you have a multi entry visa you can just hop- back and forth across it. But with others you might not have the time to just get a 15 day as you are going to be here 29 days and you have already got your 30 day extension.

[Showbags]

The oficial limit we were told recently is 2 litres per person over 18yo...we had 2 kds and tried to load them up.

But they did not check, so you could sneak 2 bottles of more than a litre each and get away with it, pretty sure you could get away with 3 or 4 bottles each too.....and at near half price it seems, well worth it.

[Thighlander]

google "counterfeit liquor" and educate yourselves. Apparently the fake french wines are all over China, and the Russians had set up a whole plant in England. They used bleach to give it the right color. A few years ago, some brits were nabbed at Swammpy with a shopping bag each of cigs and were fined about 1000 gbp each. Photos of the spoiled german beer have been posted here before.

[Cats4ever]

i always stock up on good quality DVD's (on the Burmese side) from one shop in particular. Chinese but impossible to tell! they used to be 50 Baht but may have gone up.

I bought 10 for 300 baht, good value, even if some of the sound tracks listed on the sleeve are not actually available.

During last visit bought about 2000 baht of DVD and drama series like Nikita, Walking Dead etc....drama series are cheaper at about 20 baht a disc..nice oldies like The Ten Commandments/Gone with the wind/Ben Hur etc etc...

I always loved Mort Sahl's review of Ben Hur - "Loved Ben; hated Hur".

Sort of how I felt when I watched it way back in the late 50s.

[Showbags]

google "counterfeit liquor" and educate yourselves. Apparently the fake french wines are all over China, and the Russians had set up a whole plant in England. They used bleach to give it the right color. A few years ago, some brits were nabbed at Swammpy with a shopping bag each of cigs and were fined about 1000 gbp each. Photos of the spoiled german beer have been posted here before.

they copy booze?.....thats a mortal sin.

unless its just as good and half the price.

[vagabond48]

Thanks for the few of you that actually answered my inquiry.

As I wrote, I had no intention to go the Burmese side especially since it would have cost me and my wife (not GF) each, $10 entry plus 1000B for our re-entry permit.

Edited January 10, 2014 by vagabond48