Phetchabun to Mae Sot

After going to Nong Khai for a few times I decided to go to Mae Sot for a change.


So we set off from Phetchabun at 2200 to go to Lom Sak this costs 40bt each and takes roughly an hour.

The only bus the wife could find leaves Lom Sak at 2330 so its an overnight job. The bus was one of the newer Scania ones with plenty of legroom and a decent recline on the seats. Heres the bus in all it glory

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010111.JPG

This was taken in Mae Sot as it was pitch black and I wasnt too interested in taking photos of a bus in the middle of the night. The bus doesnt leave from the main bus station, it leaves from a small office opposite the main Police station in the town centre and is operated by Phetpasert . This costs 310bt.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010113.JPG

The usual TVs, nice flatscreen one but theyre too well bolted down to take home with you.

After a few hours kip we arrived in Mae Sot at 0600, handy as the border opens at 0630, nice timing to start off the trip.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010060.JPG

The border is about 4 kms away from the bus station so 50bt on a motorbike and youre there in 5 mins. Ive no idea what time the office opens for border passes for Thais but its 1km down the road from the bus station on the same side of the road as the bus station.

Amazingly the border did open at 0630 so off I went to Myanmar by foot. I didnt take my camera and pictures of immigration are more boring than pictures of buses. The Burma immigration was pretty easy, the office is on the right side with a notice for foreigners to go there, some bloke whos after your cash will probably try and help you with this, you dont need it. I handed over 500bt and got my passport back 10 mins later. So back to Thailand.

Again this was easy as its early, there was me an another bloke and that was it. The easiest and most hassle free border crossing Ive been to.

Now with eveything going well on the timing side something got to give, and its this.

The visa process took about 30 mins so I was done and stamped in again by 0700, once again theres only the one bus that goes unless you want to try and find a bus back to Lom Sak/Phetchabun. The same bus back goes at 1830 so you've got a good 11 hours to wait. We considered going to somewhere like Tak or Phitsanulok to try and get back earlier but I had a major buffalo with my visa. Not really in the mood for sitting on a cattle truck bus for 6 hours we decided to get a hotel, have some food and a few hours sleep so we hopped on a bike and asked the driver to take us to a cheapish hotel.

This is where we ended up

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010077.JPG

I think its called First Hotel theres a sign that says First Hotel and its the only hotel I saw, I may be wrong you never know. Its opposite a Siam Commercial Bank and a place called Mae Sod plaza. I asked for a hotel card but they didnt have any and anyone I asked after the receptionist left was Burmese and couldnt understand a word of Thai so I dont know the name of the Soi either.

Anyway 270bt for the room which was fine for me considering were were only staying a few hours. This place was fitted out with teak woodcarvings everywhere and I mean everywhere.

The reception desk

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010094.JPG


This table next was used for nothing other than leaving newspapers on, god know how much this would cost in the UK or US. Wood panelling and marble floors everywhere, some woodologist can correct me if this isnt teak

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010096.JPG


These carvings are all over the ceilings, not easy to get a decent photo, this is all in the reception area.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010061.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010062.JPG

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010063.JPG

The keys are on a metal ring that wouldnt look out of place in a jail, no idea what the spanners for either.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010107.JPG


No shock to see the staircase was made from wood.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010069.JPG


The carvings are just about everywhere you look and most of them have some sort of fish theme to them. Theres hardly a space without one.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010070.JPG


The room itself, nothing special really but good enough for a kip and some well deserved sex. :) TV, no fridge, fan and a cold shower.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010101.JPG



I tried to get a photo then this woman lay on the bed, shes Thai and cant help it.

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010075.JPG

We ventured out to get some food and i noticed why theres loads of carvings.

Takes lots of this

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010065.JPG


Give it to a couple of these blokes outside

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...4/P1010064.JPG

Pay them tuppence a year because theyre Burmeses and you too can have a hotel more or less carved out of wood.

The town itself was pretty crap, just all the usual crap you get in any other Thai town so we got some food and headed back to the room for a bit.

After a kip we jumped in a sahmlor and headed back to the bus station, cost about 80bt I think. The bus left as it should, on time 1830, same price 310bt.

On the way back they have a rest break where you can grab some food, they lay some Thai food on for free but its not that nice or filling.

We got back to Lom Sak at 0100, it was cold and boring so no pics. The bus from Lom Sak to Phetchabun was at 0200 from the same office opposite the Police station, again 40bt each.

We got home an hour later a 0300, this way is quicker than Nong Khai in travel time but the hours are shitty to be hanging around at.

Thanks MB. Loved the shots of the timber. How long is it before those skills are lost eh? I hope they have a lot of teak plantations in place. They have the ideal climate for intensive forestry and I reckon they could make a great future economy out of that stuff. Sometime down the track it will be as rare as rocking horse poop. Dream on JLP.

Oh, just a hint. Don't sit in the top deck of those buses. Sooner or later they will have to make a detour under a low bridge and i really don't trust the judgement of drivers other than myself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by melvbot

I think its called First Hotel theres a sign that says First Hotel and its the only hotel I saw,

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First Hotel
444 Inthon Kiri Road. [30 rooms]
Phone : 055-531 233, 546 409, 546 150; Fax : 055-531 340

thanks mate some good info may be trying that route

can this route stiil be used as from now september 16 with all the new changes being bought in

Quote:

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Originally Posted by harveyboy

can this route stiil be used as from now september 16 with all the new changes being bought in

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What "new changes" are you referring to?

Both northern borders with burma have been closed to "out-ins"; which means you can't bounce out and back in to get a "visa exempt stamp"..

I did read they are open to people holding valid "multi-entry visas"; which means you can use them to bounce out and back in to garner another entry on a visa you already hold..

Right now for people up Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai way who want to "border bounce" to get a visa exempt stamp the ONLY nearby border is the Chiang Khong (Thailand) – Huay Xai (Laos) one north of Chiang Rai where you cross the river into Lao.

DO NOT confuse these terms:
"border bounce" <- where you exit/re-enter either to get another entry on an existing visa or a visa exempt stamp

"visa run" <- where you "run" to a thai consulate in another country to get a valid visa..

Those are whores from different go-go bars entirely

Have a nice trip ka..post more pics...will happy to see it...thanks..