TravelTips24 : Asia : Southeast Asia : Thailand : North : Tak : Mae Sot

Mae Sot

Table of Contents

Travel to Mae Sot, visa requirements By road By air / Get around / Mae Sot attractions and sightseeing / City tours / Shopping, Mae Sot souvenirs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Mae Sot nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Get out

Mae Sot is in Tak Province, Thailand. It has an elevation of around 210 metres.

Travel to Mae Sot & Visa Requirements

By road

Access from Tak is along Highway #105 via Doi Musoe (870 m) and Doi Son (784 m).

Frequent minibuses connect Mae Sot directly with Tak bus station, starting at 5:30AM and finishing around 7PM, and in theory departing every 30 minutes - however those that are already full can be expected to leave early, and those that are not will probably go late. The journey takes about 90 minutes and costs 50 baht/person. The surcharge for putting a bicycle on the roofrack is 50 baht.

There are buses throughout the day from Moh Chit Bus Station in Bangkok. VIP buses are 700 baht as of June 2008. Try to get a spot at the top level of the bus (VIP) as you are not near the toilets at the bottom. They stink! There are as well, 1st class buses, and other levels. When you get the bus it goes all night so you get there very early. Remember that your ticket (VIP) gies you a free meal or drink at the stop that the bus makes in the middle of the night. When you stop take your ticket and you get one meal (pretty average) or a drink/youghrt drink. When you arrive at Mae Sot there are Tuk Tuks and motor bikes to take you to the hotels. They are nice people and will charge depending on how many people and where you want to go.

By air

Mae Sot airport is about 2km west of the edge of town, and just 1km from the border. The airport is no longer in use.

Tours & Getting around Mae Sot

The airport is still definItely closed. Getting around town is pretty simple by foot but it you are looking for other forms of transport... Push bike - These can be rented from most guest houses but in the high season they are almost totally booked out. Motor bike - you can hire motor bikes from most places that sell motor bikes (easy to find!). They cost around 160b per day. You must wear a helmet (supplied) as the police do fine people (even foreigners!). You have to leave your passport for bond and fill up with petrol when you return it. The shop on the corner just up from the Mosque is very good and has good bikes with good service.

To hire cars is a hassle and expensive - stick to motor bikes or rent a taxi. Motor bike taxi can be had anywhere you see a buch of guys sitting around with a coloured jacket over their shirts with a number on the back. Prices depend on how far you go. You can also get a form of transport similar to a tuk tuk. You get them from the bus station to town for about 50 b again depending on how far you are going. If you need to go to the bus station and there are a few of you the guest house can get you one.

Mae Sot attractions and sightseeing

Myawaddy in Myanmar (overnight stays not permitted)
The municipal market in town is quite vibrant and represents an amazing cultural mix. There are Indo-burmese textiles, food and teak; as well as Karen, Mon, Hmong and other Burmese minority shops of all kinds. Turtles, eels and frogs all available at food stalls (mostly these are live) while of course more "western" meats such as pork, chicken, beef and lamb. Beef and lamb are much harder to come by. Gem and Jade shops abound in Mae Sot as well - but they are not for amateurs, you best be able to tell the difference between real and fake gems if you plan to buy.
The Wat (temple) on the eastern side of town (near the Tesco Lotus) has a sauna, for about 20B.

Mae Sot city tours

Mae Sot souvenirs & shopping

The main market is a great place to purchace some Burmese goods. Wandering around it is easy to see the ethnic diversity in Mae Sot. Its is also a fantastic place to buy great fresh (often alive) food. Toad anyone?

There are many Gem stone and jewelery shops offering good bargains. Most of the trade is for wholesale however. As with anywhere in Thailand,although many sellers are reputable, be wary that if you look European, low quality stones might be sold for high prices. Do some research before you buy.

Mae Sot Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

It appears that most places in Mae Sot have English menus available; so if you know Thai, ask for the Thai menus, as they tend to have many more options.

Aiya is a Thai-Burmese restaurant on the western Intharakhiri road, across from Ban Thai. A favorite among westerners. An expansive menu, and the staff has decent english.

Casa Mia offers Thai as well as Italian food. The staff is friendly, and it is on a street off of the main (Intharakhiri) road. The sign should be visible from the street and it is also west of town (further west than Ban Thai guest house)

Krua Canadian Cafe is quite central down the block immediately south of the Police Station (center of Mae Sot). The menu is quite large and a hive of western info, english papers and cuisine.

The Night Market is terrific for dinner for the undecisive. With at least half a dozen different restaurants that stay open much later than the rest of Mae Sot, it's a good option for great Thai. Every shop here will have an English menu.

Hazel Cafe is just east of the Police Station and is the most "Western-looking" place in Mae Sot. It's "Ikea-sleek" decor may be out of place, but it's free wifi, Air Con, comfortable couches and delightful baked goods are hard to resist.

T Corner on the west side of town is another Anglo-friendly place, best suited for Lunch.

Countless Thai restaurants line the streets of Mae Sot. Be adventurous. You needn't ever eat at the same place twice here, so long as you don't stay for more than a year.

Mae Sot nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Oasis Coffee Shop is a regular meeting place for foreigners in Mae Sot. In addition to coffee, cakes, and sandwiches, there are meeting rooms available with the purchase of a cup of coffee, free up-to-date maps, internet and Wi-Fi, Thai and Burmese lessons, and an English language Church Service on Saturday night. It is also a great source for information especially if you are new in town. All are welcome. It is on the street opposite the entrance to the Mae Sot street market (2/2 Soi Watchumpon; Ph. 055-533047; Monday-Saturday 8-6).The money goes towards the Home Of Hope Orphanage, and the Elpis school for refugees.

Mae Sot cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

There are many hotels and guest houses in Mae Sot. Centrally, you can stay at Green Guest House, a clean and affordable converted set of homes. There are private and shared bath rooms available. Television is also included. If you stay more than one night a towel and toilet paper are included. First Hotel has invested it's time and energy in its interior, leaving the exterior to be remarkable only for the difference. Air con rooms with double debs are available, as are other variations.

To the west of the city center are Bai Fern,Smile, No. 4 and Ban Thai guest houses. Bai Fern has wifi, mostly unremarkable rooms, and some have Air Con. Ban Thai is further west, down a soft gravel alley, with a very peaceful atmosphere. Rooms are clean, but Air Con does not seem available. Wifi, however, appears plentiful there, and it seems to be quite popular among the NGO-working western crowd. Smile guest house is cheap rooms and some have air;con. No. 4 guest house appears to be a haven for trekkers, and has clean comparable rooms to other places in town. DK Guest house is also a well used tourist hang out with mostly older NGO people, Christians and the like. About 400b per night tiled BIG rooms with TV, western toilet, cable TV and a balcony. Don't get the rooms at either end (next to the road or at the opposite end) as the noise can be a bit mich from chickens and cars very early in the morning. The staff are nice and internet is available in the lobby. All Burmese staff (except counter staff) with good security at night with guard and counter staff on the ball.

The DK bookshop below is very interesting. All the Thai classics but limited English titles. The best value in Mae Sot. The Mae Sot hill hotel is the best hotel but very expensive and way out of town. No wi fi.

Get out

This page was last edited at 02:51, on 31 October 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Al, Wikitravel user(s) Morph and Jake73 and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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