The remote Wa region of Shan state in Myanmar's east is a place few outsiders have seen. The people who live in this unofficial, effectively autonomous state within Myanmar used to be called the Wild Wa, and as the BBC's Jonah Fisher found, drugs, money and the wildlife trade are flourishing.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37996473

Any way that a Thai or a westerner could gain access? 

On 12/28/2016 at 11:08 AM, Tai777 said:

Any way that a Thai or a westerner could gain access? 

Yes no problem whatsoever. You just travel across the Mae Sai crossing to Tachilek, then hop in a taxi or a bus for Kengtung, then continue to Mong La, which is the capital of Wa State. It's been possible to go there for years, even before the land borders were officially opened. You can't cross from Mong La to china however, that used to be possible up until around 10 years ago, but the Chinese government abruptly closed the border and it hasn't opened again since (except for locals crossing on day trips).

 

However, the Myanmar authorities no longer allow you to drive a Thai car by yourself all the way to Mong La like you used to be able to. You can still go, if you pay an agent in Chiang Rai and head there in a convoy with local guides in tow. If that's too much of a hassle you're better off just hiring a taxi with driver at the border and make sure you have some Yuan before arriving in Mong La as they reportedly don't accept any other currency there despite being in Myanmar! It's best to buy Yuan at a money changer in Mae Sai or elsewhere in Thailand before crossing the border.