So, a normal person who had to ride some ~500+km from Mae Sot to Bangkok on a dirt bike would probably take the direct route, right? Well, now one has ever accused the Bangkok Weekend Warriors of being normal!
But, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. I needed to do a quick border run to extend my visa and there's a crossing from Mae Sot, Thailand to Myawaddy, Myanmar. I told Satonic to sleep in and I'd do a quick border run in the early am.
I rode to the crossing and proceeded on foot as it's still quite difficult to bring a Thai-registered motorcycle into Myanmar. (Permission needs to be arranged in advance via a licensed tour company and you need a ton of paperwork and a guide.)
Cool and chilly this morning!
Crossing the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge from Mae Sot to Myawaddy-
(Noticed something a bit funny- if you don't want to bother with the immigration check points there are long tail boats in plain sight of the bridge that were doing a brisk business running illegals back and forth across the small river that separates Thailand and Myanmar.)
The immigration officials in Myawaddy were very friendly and I asked them about bringing my bike over- they said I'd need written permission from the Permanent Minister of Transport... Oh well, doesn't hurt to ask!
Wandered about Myawaddy for a bit to check out the sights and get a feel for the place. First impression, shockingly poor. Mae Sot, Thailand is bustling and quite clean, while in Myawaddy they seem to just be getting by...
Morning market-
Cute kid
Monks collecting morning alms-