Mae Sai border run

[Jdiddy]

Thinking of hiring a car and going for a road trip up to Mae Sai, anyone does this?

 

Good scenery, half decent roads?

 

im one of those guys who hates minivans and busses and likes going for a good drive and exploring the countryside. Ill probably do it over 2 days within a 24 hour period, drive up in the arvo, drive back in the morning

[true blue]

drove up to border many times,really good road dual/carrigeway most of the time,i always stay chiang rai one night,not the most exciting cities,but for one night???,drive to border in the morning after breakfast,then back to good old chiang mai.about 3/4 hours from border to cnx.

[worgeordie]

I found it was always best to get an early start,

less crazy drivers on the road,its quite a twisty 

road,along with drivers overtaking on the bends,

so take care.

regards Worgeordie

[Ricardo]

Stop to enjoy the food & cream-cakes at Charin-Resort, don't drive on by, your taste-buds will thank you !

[sharktooth]

Do it on decent size motorbike. Some long, undulating twisties and a few dual carriage ways where you can open up. Unless it pisses down of course, cos then it's shite

[Jdiddy]

Thanks, thinking of heading out on the Mai Rim-->Mai Ai road then coming back the Chiang Rei-->Charin resort route for abit of variety

 

Should be allright, im a driving enthusiast and the more twisty the roads get the happier i am, shame i dont have my old Skyline GTR with me :P

 

 

[mccw]

Didn't the recent news say no more visa runs or something?
No back to back tourist visas but can extend for 30 rather than only 7 days.

[Jdiddy]

Didn't the recent news say no more visa runs or something?
No back to back tourist visas but can extend for 30 rather than only 7 days.

 

Im currently on my 1st entry of a 2 entry TV, never set foot in Thailand before, i better not get bloody bounced!!!

[davehowden]

For sure don't stay over the night in Mae Sai, it is one of the most boring places I have come across, will take you several hours just to find a beer.

[bristolgeoff]

don,t forget those little bars round the border.you can drink  there plus the massage  places.otherwise not so busy at night

[mccw]

Didn't the recent news say no more visa runs or something?
No back to back tourist visas but can extend for 30 rather than only 7 days.

 
Im currently on my 1st entry of a 2 entry TV, never set foot in Thailand before, i better not get bloody bounced!!!

Should be fine then; don't be worry

[Zbourg]

Lets try to get osme more information on this. Does anyone know someone that may know more about this recent change?

 

 

 

Didn't the recent news say no more visa runs or something?
No back to back tourist visas but can extend for 30 rather than only 7 days.

 
Im currently on my 1st entry of a 2 entry TV, never set foot in Thailand before, i better not get bloody bounced!!!

Should be fine then; don't be worry

 

 

[mccw]

Lets try to get osme more information on this. Does anyone know someone that may know more about this recent change?
 

 

 

Didn't the recent news say no more visa runs or something?
No back to back tourist visas but can extend for 30 rather than only 7 days.

 
Im currently on my 1st entry of a 2 entry TV, never set foot in Thailand before, i better not get bloody bounced!!!

Should be fine then; don't be worry
 

 

Try calling immigration.
I read about the change in the bangkok post btw

[mccw]

No more back to back tourist visas they said

[MESmith]

OP, enjoy the drive.  Great roads & outside of the towns traffic is light.  Suggest you make an early start, especially if you're planning to head up the Mae Rim road.  Spend the night at Mae Salong up in the hills.   The hill section on hwy 118 south of Chiang Rai, after the hwy 1 turn off to Mae Suay is one of my favourite drives.  Not a separated road, but wide & plenty of room to out brake slower vehicles into corners 

[mccw]

The white temple in chiang rai is worth a stop if you've not been already- or even if you have. I stopped in a few times

[Jdiddy]

Well got into the car after 2pm, arrived in mae sai at just after 6, went through Mai Ai and glad I did, beautiful area, clean air, lush. I want to buy a big block of land there, buy a good wife and a hot mistress, get some fruit trees and spend the rest of my days watching them and the kids grow tall :D

D day tomorrow morning

[davehowden]

The white temple in chiang rai is worth a stop if you've not been already- or even if you have. I stopped in a few times

 

Thought it fell down in the May quake?

[fcgprg]

 

The white temple in chiang rai is worth a stop if you've not been already- or even if you have. I stopped in a few times

 

Thought it fell down in the May quake?

 

It is still open ,some parts are closed for repair.

[Ricardo]

 

The white temple in chiang rai is worth a stop if you've not been already- or even if you have. I stopped in a few times

 

Thought it fell down in the May quake?

 

 

I drove past it, a couple of weeks ago, it was looking bedraggled, but still standing.

 

After a lunch-stop at Charin Resort, I then for a change took the mountain-road over to Phrao, instead of the main road direct back to Chiang Mai.

 

It was spectacular and quiet, superb views, I bet it's popular with the bikers !
 

[thatguyagain]

The recent change affect visa exempt in and out runs ONLY

If you have a valid visa in your passport there are no new regulations

Chinese whispers

Didn't the recent news say no more visa runs or something?
No back to back tourist visas but can extend for 30 rather than only 7 days.

[mccw]

The drive via Fang and Tha ton is a nice one too. Can stay over night in Tha ton for example. Sit on the river bank, paddle in the shallows.

[Jdiddy]

Yeah got the impression at the passport control that if you have an actual visa, its all good. Official didnt say anything to me and she didnt go through my passport, i was the only Guava there, passport controls were all empty, but it was 7.30am 

 

Whats the go with all those permanent checkpoints where the police slow you down, have a look at you then wave you on?

 

came back the Doi Saket road, didnt seem to take much less time then Mai Ai. White temple was interesting, thanks. Next time ill get the bike license and do it properly on a big bike!

[mccw]

The check points are to combat the smugglers;
Like ya baa, wood, people etc.
if your car gets nicked in CM and you have a tracker installed you can pay for the alert to go out and hope so one these check points intercepts it before they reach the border. (My cousins in law have a car rental biz and actually recovered a car this way last year).

[anto]

On the bus to Mae Sai last week there were 3 police checke in both directions .They looked at my passport on one occasion on the way back .B.T.W it was very quiet on the Burmese side and the Hawkers seemed more desperate.

[lordblackader]

Did the run a month ago, police everywhere for inspections, but mostly on the way back. The Songteaw to the bus station even got pulled over and the Burmese looking folk having their bags inspected.

 

There has always been inspections on the way there, but they seem to be cracking down more, 5 in total from the border to Chiang Mai when I did it. 

[Jdiddy]

I suppose they can tell a Burmese with a quick look then. I had a cab over take me, then saw it at the next checkpoint pulled over with 4 cops checking out the boot, few minutes later overtakes me again then at the next checkpoint the same cab pulled over with the same boot inspection in process, guess the poor driver was Burmese or they dont like cab drivers? :D lol

[roger1999]

I suppose they can tell a Burmese with a quick look then. I had a cab over take me, then saw it at the next checkpoint pulled over with 4 cops checking out the boot, few minutes later overtakes me again then at the next checkpoint the same cab pulled over with the same boot inspection in process, guess the poor driver was Burmese or they dont like cab drivers? lol

I was told that certain license plates also arouse their suspicions, those plates issued far, far away from Mae Sai.  

[eyecatcher]

I was at the border today, a few observations;
At the bus station there were only 5 people boarded the songthaew which meant through desperation the driver had to do a very slow kerb crawl through tesco carpark hoping for a fare....that failed.
At the border it was empty, only 3 from the songthaew went through.
The guy before me was pulled for his visa being out of date but after some discussion they authorised him to return.
The bridge itself was full of beggars waving cups at me, never seen as many.
At the burma checkpoint they don't even bother with the quick photo for the day pass, you can just go in as you wish now but then I was surrounded by at least 20 ciggy sellers, they were a nuisance.
Bought a couple of items amounting to 1100bt and later discovered the same items were 950 at the thai market area, ha !
Both markets, actually dead, it was a shame really, everyone will suffer due to these visa changes, the place is no longer buzzing like it used to.
Who is going to buy the million sunglasses for sale?
Songthaew back I actually ran 50m to jump on the back he was going so slow, and another guy ran into the back after me.
Every baht is important to these people now, sunglasses 40bt selling at 30bt.
But the best thing.....no silver vans anywhere!

[mccw]

I was at the border today, a few observations;
At the bus station there were only 5 people boarded the songthaew which meant through desperation the driver had to do a very slow kerb crawl through tesco carpark hoping for a fare....that failed.
At the border it was empty, only 3 from the songthaew went through.
The guy before me was pulled for his visa being out of date but after some discussion they authorised him to return.
The bridge itself was full of beggars waving cups at me, never seen as many.
At the burma checkpoint they don't even bother with the quick photo for the day pass, you can just go in as you wish now but then I was surrounded by at least 20 ciggy sellers, they were a nuisance.
Bought a couple of items amounting to 1100bt and later discovered the same items were 950 at the thai market area, ha !
Both markets, actually dead, it was a shame really, everyone will suffer due to these visa changes, the place is no longer buzzing like it used to.
Who is going to buy the million sunglasses for sale?
Songthaew back I actually ran 50m to jump on the back he was going so slow, and another guy ran into the back after me.
Every baht is important to these people now, sunglasses 40bt selling at 30bt.
But the best thing.....no silver vans anywhere!

It's low season

But every trip I did it was way more Thai shoppers than farangs who were only really a fraction of a percent at the best of times.