With only one page left in my passport and needing a three-month stamp, I headed to Mae Sot because they use a stamp which gives me six in and outs per page instead of the whole page like in Cambodia and Laos.
I live near to TDs own ‘Bangyai’, but a little nearer the Rama 5 bridge, so followed his excellent advice on his recent thread and took the 340 through Saphan Buri and onto the 1 near Chai Nat. From there it’s straight on to Tak and thence to Mae Sot.
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Unlike Bangyai, I was travelling on my own, so allowing for one pitstop along the way, it took 5 hours 15 minutes from home to Mae Sot.
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It was a Monday and there was very little traffic on the road so you can set your own pace. I noticed that Thai drivers are incapable of driving at a steady speed and along the way I was passed by guys doing 140kms and 15kms later I’d pass them ambling along on the inside lane doing about 80kms. I like to drive at a steady 120kms and can do this all day if the traffic allows.
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You Pass through some nice looking towns along the way which have very wide main streets.
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One of the good things about driving in Thailand is that you always know where you are with excellent signs like this one welcoming you to Chai Nat.
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Next on the list was Uthai Thani which I recognized as the home province of a rather delectable ‘pretty’ in one of the restaurants that I frequent.
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Once I saw the sign welcoming me to Tak I felt better as I’d half intended to stay the night here. However, despite not leaving home until midday it was only 4:15 when I arrived in Tak so decided to press on the Mae Sot.
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For those of you who are driving, the last 20 kms into Tak are very rough. The road has broken up in all lanes as I’ve tried to show you here. However, driving in the Northern Territory of Australia where the roads are badly corrugated, I’ve learnt that you’re better to fly across the bumps at a decent speed rather than descend into the hollows at your peril!
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Just before Tak you can turn left onto the 105 which will take you across the mountains to Mae Sot. This is a very picturesque drive and can be done with care in about an hour.
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There are plenty of passing lanes throughout the windy sections so no need to take risks and pass in dodgy places. You do see some hair-raising things along the way though.
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Once things flatten out you’ll come to a round-a-bout and if you only want to go to the border go all the way around. If, like me, you want to go in the town, take the first exit. I was surprised with the size of the town because they actually have two streets running parallel, where most border towns are just single streets.
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Surprisingly, for a Monday, both the First Hotel and DK Hotel (of DK Books fame) were full. DK Hotel has 50 rooms and when I asked the receptionist why, she assumed it was because the receptionist was so beautiful. Have to stay there next time. They recommended the Porn Phen Hotel and that’s where I stayed. No pics as it was a doss hole and at 450 Baht I should have known better.
I really hate these guys who go up in the lift with you touting girls. I suppose I should have listened to him, but have always seemed to find my own way around. The thought of banging one of his younger sisters just didn’t do it for me.
I went exploring and found a rather nice restaurant called – funnily enough – MaeSot Restaurant. The staff were all from Myanmar and were very friendly. They insisted on entertaining me with their karaoke skills. Personally I have never understood the fascination people have with this medium of torture. Let’s face it, most people cannot sing and even though I’m virtually tone-deaf I can still pick up on their constant flat notes. Anyway they were good company.
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Next morning I went on out to the border which is about 6kms out of town. If you driving you can park on the right of the border post. Immigration on both sides of the border were far friendlier than I have experienced in other places. Five minutes and I was stamped out.
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You have to walk over the bridge and when you arrive at the Myanmar Immigration area you want to go in the door on the right where the motor bike is parked. The official inside greeted me with a friendly ‘rest yourself in one of our chairs’. 500 Baht for the visa. No photo and no back-hander for going straight back. Unbelievable.
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Also, on the Thai side no photo is required as it is at Cambodian borders. I think they make the rules up as they go along. The Thai immigration point for foreigners is on the left side on the building, so don’t join the queue of locals getting border stamps.
The Thai immigration official asked me where my village was in Nonthaburi and when I started to explain he told me he was just kidding as he had never been there!
Just so you know where you are they have a nice sign beside the river. This is as far west as you can go.
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Not everybody bothers with the formalities. I mean why pay good money to immigration officials when you can simply climb aboard a rubber ring and float across the river.
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Immediately on your left as you exit Thai immigration is the aptly named ‘Heaven’ coffee shop. Here they make a very acceptable latte and toast. I passed on the condensed milk and sugar on the toast!
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In all, a pleasant enough trip, albeit the actual visa process occupied about 20 minutes in total, while the drive was 10 hours.
On the way back I missed the turn to Chai Nat during a blinding thunderstorm and continued on the main road towards Ayutthaya. Having done this before I exited on to the 347 and then on to the 9 which goes directly to the Rama 5 Bridge. Exactly 500 kms from the border to my house and I was home in five hours and six minutes.
Oh. Almost forgot. I only saw one other 'farang' at the border and he got himself stamped out of Thailand and promptly jumped the wall and crossed the road to get himself stamped back in again. The nice man at Thai immigration carefully explained to him that he had to cross the bridge and get his passport stamped in Myanmar before being allowed back into Thailand again. :rolleyes:
