Last Sunday I made my obiligatory trip to the border as Maesai/Tachilek, Myanmar for my visa stamp. Mae sai is the most popular destination for visa runs in the north. The immigration folks there are fast courteous and professional. Been goig there so long and often the folks stampin' me out recognize me and ask about the kids, sometimes engage me in light-hearted banter, or when will I bring the wife, etc.
On any weekend you can head down othe Bus station and catch 20 - 30 western folk headin up for a stamp. The acars been acting up and the last couple times i've used the bus to go.
Three buses in the morning head up to Maesai the normal fan bus @ 118 baht leaves at 6:00 AM. Now if you're a narrow assed, rail-thin early riser (or if you've drank up all your travelin' money) this may be the bus for you . The next bus to leave is the VIP bus @330 baht leaving at 8:00 AM. This is a nice bus, 24 seats three across with nice wide seat plenty of leg room my 6'2" 205lb frame has room to spare on this one and. This is the bus I took.
The ride come complete with this balanced breakfast.
As you can see, it was well balanced on my knee and the interesting combination of sweet-roll and pizza is; well, interesting..
There is one more normal aircon bus leaving at 9:30 this doesnt really allow you time to go, cross the border and get back to chiangmai much before 9:30 or 10:00 PM.
The ride's an interesting one, But I usually sleep until Chiangrai.
On arrival at Maesai be sure say howdy to my pal:
Just for reference those tiles are 30cm. He doesn;t like them pizza sweetrolls too much either. took him at least two chomps to get it down. He's ugly as sin, sweet as pie.
Song teaw to the border is eight baht; it's abot 4 - 5 kilometers or so. We got dropped off a little before the border to stop at the bank and streatch our legs.
Every soi is a market. The streets are cluttered but passable.
Right across the border you can find a wider selection and slightly better prices. Wasn't somebody on this forum lamenting the absence of Plums?
After a quick check though at the border we have nice walk through the no-mans land between Myanmar and Thailand.
Go through these doors hand the dude your passport, 250 baht (save a few baht and buy a $5 bill) He ask if you want to go in or go back. If you're in a hurry he'll stamp it while you wait and send you back.
Once in a while I like headin' in to the market for an hour or so:
These guys used to be out side the last chack point. they've been chased back a bit. Still it's nice to have such hearty greetings on your arrival ain't it?
you want lady?? you want lady?? yeah man first thin i'm gonna do get to burma find me a nice burmese girl... Them Thai wenches are so fuckin ugly, you know?
I do enjoy strollin' through the market though. You can pick up a hig quality DVDs at a resonable price, packaged professionally, with al the extra stuff posters, or Bonus DVDs and fully operational menus.
HEY! Benbaaa, they got the first five seasons of the Sopranos at one shop, asking 1400, I watched him work out my offer and looks liek hes after about 28 - 29 Baht pre DVD in any set. Sopranos seasons 1 - 5 had 35 disks. "Swear they were real" knida copies. good high quality fake watches, electronics, minicams, viagra, cigarettes, whiskey, jade, gemstones of all kinds.
Gems, you know what your doin' you can do well here. you don't, Don't.