Mae Sot

Mae Sot (แม่สอด) is in Tak Province, Thailand at an elevation of around 210 m.

It will become the main gateway by land between Thailand and Myanmar due to the Trilateral Highway aka Asian Superhighway between Moreh, India and Mae Sot, passing by Mandalay (still under construction as of 2016).

• Wat Mani Herbal Sauna. Open afternoons. This is a must do when in Mae Sot. Bring your own towel and water bottle. Women should wear a sarong or loose wrap. There are separate sections for men and women. The steam room is just 3x2 m but gives a good opportunity to mix with the locals. Don't be fooled by the shady surrounding, there is fresh water in the back near the fire and some workout equipment. 20 baht (bring the exact amount).
• Town markets. The vibrant Burmese market in the centre of town 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 while pork, chicken, beef, and lamb are also sold. There are numerous gem and jade shops - but they are not for amateurs. (You better be able to tell the difference between real and fake gems if you plan to buy here.) Open morning and evening is a small indoor Thai market at Baan Nua, on the way to Mae Sot Villas with lovely fresh vegetables, meat and cooked take-away meals.

Wat Mani Herbal Sauna. Open afternoons. This is a must do when in Mae Sot. Bring your own towel and water bottle. Women should wear a sarong or loose wrap. There are separate sections for men and women. The steam room is just 3x2 m but gives a good opportunity to mix with the locals. Don't be fooled by the shady surrounding, there is fresh water in the back near the fire and some workout equipment. 20 baht (bring the exact amount).

Town markets. The vibrant Burmese market in the centre of town 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 while pork, chicken, beef, and lamb are also sold. There are numerous gem and jade shops - but they are not for amateurs. (You better be able to tell the difference between real and fake gems if you plan to buy here.) Open morning and evening is a small indoor Thai market at Baan Nua, on the way to Mae Sot Villas with lovely fresh vegetables, meat and cooked take-away meals.

• Reclining Buddha and Buddha Foot at Wat Thai Wattanaram. There is a beautiful Buddhist temple which contains a giant reclining Buddha. Continue straight on and find the Buddha's footprint.
• Rim Moei Border Market. A whole range of locally made and Chinese and Burmese imports, including bootleg Viagra, cigarettes, whiskey and designer goods, plus gems and plants. Rating at Tripadvisorː 3.5 of 5 stars.
• Mae Kasa Hot Springs. Legend has it that the Mae Kasa Hot Springs are hot enough to boil an egg. There's a nice walk around the area and it's a great place to have a picnic.
• Gibbon Sanctuary. While many other animals reside here, the gibbon sanctuary houses dozens of rescued gibbon, of the great ape group, who are often adopted as pets and then neglected by their owners when they reach adulthood. These fascinating creatures speak to you as you walk among their pens and hand feed them ripe fruit.
• Tararak Waterfall. Tararak is part of the Ti Lor Su waterfall group and like its cousin Phra Charoen contains a nice walking trail and plenty of places to picnic.
• Phra Charoen Waterfall. There is a well-beaten trail alongside its 97 steps, providing a beautiful stroll through the jungle. Bring a picnic with you and be prepared to get wet. There is a Burmese refugee camp at Umpiam further south of the Waterfall, in case you are into local politics and society.

Songthaews travel frequently north (Hwy 105) and south (Hwy 1090) in case you don't wanna rent a scooter or bicycle. They leave from the market or you can flag them down on route, but beware they are bone shakers and sometimes very full.

Reclining Buddha and Buddha Foot at Wat Thai Wattanaram. There is a beautiful Buddhist temple which contains a giant reclining Buddha. Continue straight on and find the Buddha's footprint.

Rim Moei Border Market. A whole range of locally made and Chinese and Burmese imports, including bootleg Viagra, cigarettes, whiskey and designer goods, plus gems and plants. Rating at Tripadvisorː 3.5 of 5 stars.

Mae Kasa Hot Springs. Legend has it that the Mae Kasa Hot Springs are hot enough to boil an egg. There's a nice walk around the area and it's a great place to have a picnic.

Gibbon Sanctuary. While many other animals reside here, the gibbon sanctuary houses dozens of rescued gibbon, of the great ape group, who are often adopted as pets and then neglected by their owners when they reach adulthood. These fascinating creatures speak to you as you walk among their pens and hand feed them ripe fruit.

Tararak Waterfall. Tararak is part of the Ti Lor Su waterfall group and like its cousin Phra Charoen contains a nice walking trail and plenty of places to picnic.

Phra Charoen Waterfall. There is a well-beaten trail alongside its 97 steps, providing a beautiful stroll through the jungle. Bring a picnic with you and be prepared to get wet. There is a Burmese refugee camp at Umpiam further south of the Waterfall, in case you are into local politics and society.

• Gecko Garden Yoga Studio, +66 87 7324019. Daily, 17:00-18:00,. Yoga in a peaceful setting. Mat provided. Regular classes on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Advanced classes on Tuesday & Thursday. 100 baht per class.
• Puzzlebox Art Courses, 35 Intharakiri Road, Mae Sot, Tak 63110, +66 8 3163 7537. Tue-Sat / 09:00-17:00. The Puzzlebox offers courses in batik, ceramics, sandblasting and basic art. Professionals teach basic techniques, and you create your own original work. The course culminates in a product you can take home. Participate individually or schedule a group course.
• The most recommended Thai massages are the one on the grounds of Mae Sot Hospital, rear entrance, and the one on the Asian Highway on the left towards the river, just past the traffic lights to Mae Ramat.
• Two Wheels Bike Rental, 10/24 Samaksapphakarn, Ban Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand 63110, +66 87 200 1495. Explore the scenic surroundings of Mae Sot on bicycle. Fully-loaded Trek 3900 with disc brakes. 216, 218 and 220 inch available. 100 baht/day, 50 baht/half day.
• Youth Connect Foundation, 10/24 Samaksapphakarn Road, Mae Sot, Tak 63110, +66 88 278 1834. The number of migrant labourers has grown over the past twenty years. This increase of long term migrant laborers has resulted in a rapidly growing youth population. In response to the population growth over 75 different migrant schools have been established in the Mae Sot area alone. All together Youth Connect Foundation works with apprentices for a minimum of 10 months. During this time the apprentices will go through three stages: In-School Training Program, Intensive Training Program and Apprenticeship Placement and Career Centre.
• Volunteering in an orphanage. The Center for Children in Need needs short- or long-term volunteers in their grass-roots project for abandoned Burmese children. Volunteers participate in the daily activities and there are often small construction and renovation projects. The director also takes the volunteers to the market and shows them around. You pay 300 baht per day, which includes 3 meals and the use of a bicycle and Internet.

Gecko Garden Yoga Studio, +66 87 7324019. Daily, 17:00-18:00,. Yoga in a peaceful setting. Mat provided. Regular classes on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Advanced classes on Tuesday & Thursday. 100 baht per class.

Puzzlebox Art Courses, 35 Intharakiri Road, Mae Sot, Tak 63110, +66 8 3163 7537. Tue-Sat / 09:00-17:00. The Puzzlebox offers courses in batik, ceramics, sandblasting and basic art. Professionals teach basic techniques, and you create your own original work. The course culminates in a product you can take home. Participate individually or schedule a group course.

Two Wheels Bike Rental, 10/24 Samaksapphakarn, Ban Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand 63110, +66 87 200 1495. Explore the scenic surroundings of Mae Sot on bicycle. Fully-loaded Trek 3900 with disc brakes. 216, 218 and 220 inch available. 100 baht/day, 50 baht/half day.

Youth Connect Foundation, 10/24 Samaksapphakarn Road, Mae Sot, Tak 63110, +66 88 278 1834. The number of migrant labourers has grown over the past twenty years. This increase of long term migrant laborers has resulted in a rapidly growing youth population. In response to the population growth over 75 different migrant schools have been established in the Mae Sot area alone. All together Youth Connect Foundation works with apprentices for a minimum of 10 months. During this time the apprentices will go through three stages: In-School Training Program, Intensive Training Program and Apprenticeship Placement and Career Centre.

Volunteering in an orphanage. The Center for Children in Need needs short- or long-term volunteers in their grass-roots project for abandoned Burmese children. Volunteers participate in the daily activities and there are often small construction and renovation projects. The director also takes the volunteers to the market and shows them around. You pay 300 baht per day, which includes 3 meals and the use of a bicycle and Internet.

• The weekend market. This market is famous for its countless local food stalls to the north with a great variety. To the south cloths and local handicraft can be found.
• The main market is a great place to purchase some Burmese goods. Wandering around it is easy to see the ethnic diversity in Mae Sot. It is also a fantastic place to buy great fresh, often live, food.
• There are many gem stone and jewellery 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.
• For locally made ethnic handicrafts, Fair Trade / Social Enterprise, goods try the WEAVE & Borderline shops, which are almost opposite each other on Inthrakiree Road heading into town from the west. Borderline also has an artist's gallery, a coffee shop, and free WiFi out the back.
• There are a couple of trekking/tour companies operating out of Mae Sot, with jungle trips, elephant rides and white water rafting. SP Kitchen on Asia Highway is one option, Bai Fern in the centre on Inthrakiree Road is another. Some routes are seasonal and cannot be accessed at the height of the rainy season, May-Oct.

The weekend market. This market is famous for its countless local food stalls to the north with a great variety. To the south cloths and local handicraft can be found.

The main market is a great place to purchase some Burmese goods. Wandering around it is easy to see the ethnic diversity in Mae Sot. It is also a fantastic place to buy great fresh, often live, food.

There are many gem stone and jewellery 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.

For locally made ethnic handicrafts, Fair Trade / Social Enterprise, goods try the WEAVE & Borderline shops, which are almost opposite each other on Inthrakiree Road heading into town from the west. Borderline also has an artist's gallery, a coffee shop, and free WiFi out the back.

There are a couple of trekking/tour companies operating out of Mae Sot, with jungle trips, elephant rides and white water rafting. SP Kitchen on Asia Highway is one option, Bai Fern in the centre on Inthrakiree Road is another. Some routes are seasonal and cannot be accessed at the height of the rainy season, May-Oct.

Your best bid would be to walk around and choose the place that looks most promising.

• Aiya, Intharakiree Rd. (When heading east, across from Bai Fern. Thai-Burmese restaurant with an expansive menu in English. Friendly, but very slow service.
• Cafe de Moei. Good Thai fusion cuisine.
• Casa Mia. Thai, Burmese, and Western food. Friendly, English-speaking staff, with homemade bread, pasta and cakes.
• Coffee Corner. Thai, Burmese and Western food. Comfortable with friendly staff and Bu, the owner, speaks English. The food is reasonably priced with good service. They make excellent coffee.
• Hazel Cafe. Sleek décor with delicious cakes and chocolates. Air conditioning and free WiFi.
• Krua Canadian Cafe. 07:00-. European, Mexican, and Thai menu. The owner always offers help to foreigners. Reasonable prices with good quality food. Sells take-away bread, wine, and Thai coffee in gift bags. Free WiFi.
• Mai Thai. Lovely place to eat and drink. The Thai owner and chef cooks each dish to order according to her northern Thai roots. Open early for "after-work" drinks and on until late. Food is tasty, but standards of hygiene are not perfect.
• Opposite T Corner. Good Thai food. Don't be put off by the décor and TV soaps as the food is all freshly cooked in front of you by a chef recently returned from a top Bangkok hotel.
• The Passport @ HCTC, +66 83 2147716. Thur-Fri-Sat nights. Call for reservation. Vocational restaurant run by the Hospitality & Catering Training Centre, a charity offering a hospitality programme to under-privileged children of the Tak-Myanmar border. As part of their studies for the Certificate of Hospitality and Tourism, students are required to master basic cooking and service techniques. In order to enable this, they have opened a casual dining venue opened to the public 3 nights per week. Great cocktails and the most extensive wine list in Mae Sot. Thai specialities: sum tam spring rolls, tom yam gung, curries, dessert tray. All reasonably priced.
• Peace Cafe. 09:00-21:00. Supports The Best Friend Libraries and education projects. Sunday night at 19:00 is the Burma Film Series, admission free. European and Burmese food. Many vegetarian dishes. Bicycles for rent and guided tours.
• SP Kitchen. Delicious Burmese, Thai, and Western food.
• Wadee Restaurant. Delicious Burmese food, also some Thai dishes. Very friendly service.
• Yellow Green Coffee Shop, 599/1 Inthrakiree Rd (Westbound, before Irawadee Resort. Owned by a husband & wife, who bake daily. Free Wi-Fi and has a nice balcony on the 2nd floor.
• A bit past the mosque the road splits, and on the right fork at the end of the 1st block is a wonderful fried chicken take-away.
• Two steak houses are on Asia Hwy. One is named "Cowboy & Indian" (note "Cowboy & Indian" burned down in January 2015 but is being rebuilt). The other is a bit further east and has a bright yellow sign.
• The Night Market is terrific for late diners as the open air shops stay open quite late. All Thai food with English menus.

Aiya, Intharakiree Rd. (When heading east, across from Bai Fern. Thai-Burmese restaurant with an expansive menu in English. Friendly, but very slow service.

Cafe de Moei. Good Thai fusion cuisine.

Casa Mia. Thai, Burmese, and Western food. Friendly, English-speaking staff, with homemade bread, pasta and cakes.

Coffee Corner. Thai, Burmese and Western food. Comfortable with friendly staff and Bu, the owner, speaks English. The food is reasonably priced with good service. They make excellent coffee.

Hazel Cafe. Sleek décor with delicious cakes and chocolates. Air conditioning and free WiFi.

Krua Canadian Cafe. 07:00-. European, Mexican, and Thai menu. The owner always offers help to foreigners. Reasonable prices with good quality food. Sells take-away bread, wine, and Thai coffee in gift bags. Free WiFi.

Mai Thai. Lovely place to eat and drink. The Thai owner and chef cooks each dish to order according to her northern Thai roots. Open early for "after-work" drinks and on until late. Food is tasty, but standards of hygiene are not perfect.

Opposite T Corner. Good Thai food. Don't be put off by the décor and TV soaps as the food is all freshly cooked in front of you by a chef recently returned from a top Bangkok hotel.

The Passport @ HCTC, +66 83 2147716. Thur-Fri-Sat nights. Call for reservation. Vocational restaurant run by the Hospitality & Catering Training Centre, a charity offering a hospitality programme to under-privileged children of the Tak-Myanmar border. As part of their studies for the Certificate of Hospitality and Tourism, students are required to master basic cooking and service techniques. In order to enable this, they have opened a casual dining venue opened to the public 3 nights per week. Great cocktails and the most extensive wine list in Mae Sot. Thai specialities: sum tam spring rolls, tom yam gung, curries, dessert tray. All reasonably priced.

Peace Cafe. 09:00-21:00. Supports The Best Friend Libraries and education projects. Sunday night at 19:00 is the Burma Film Series, admission free. European and Burmese food. Many vegetarian dishes. Bicycles for rent and guided tours.

SP Kitchen. Delicious Burmese, Thai, and Western food.

Wadee Restaurant. Delicious Burmese food, also some Thai dishes. Very friendly service.

Yellow Green Coffee Shop, 599/1 Inthrakiree Rd (Westbound, before Irawadee Resort. Owned by a husband & wife, who bake daily. Free Wi-Fi and has a nice balcony on the 2nd floor.

The Night Market is terrific for late diners as the open air shops stay open quite late. All Thai food with English menus.

• EFCC, 206 Intarakhiri Rd (Opposite Yamaha showroom, near Tesco Lotus. Run by Burmese former political prisoners. ExPPACT is now defunct, but the club continues. Set in a nice garden, this laid back place mainly attracts longer-term residents. Cocktails, Burmese snacks and weekly film screenings.
• Sweet Harmony Coffee Shop and Bakery, 2/3 Sripanich Rd, +66 55 544810, +66 81 9711731. Pleasant atmosphere in a bustling central location with good snacks and drinks.
• Y2K. A Thai nightclub. The interior is "table style" where everyone has their own group and table. On Friday and Saturday nights host a large number of ladyboys with live music. Admission is 70 baht, includes a small Leo beer.

EFCC, 206 Intarakhiri Rd (Opposite Yamaha showroom, near Tesco Lotus. Run by Burmese former political prisoners. ExPPACT is now defunct, but the club continues. Set in a nice garden, this laid back place mainly attracts longer-term residents. Cocktails, Burmese snacks and weekly film screenings.

Sweet Harmony Coffee Shop and Bakery, 2/3 Sripanich Rd, +66 55 544810, +66 81 9711731. Pleasant atmosphere in a bustling central location with good snacks and drinks.

Y2K. A Thai nightclub. The interior is "table style" where everyone has their own group and table. On Friday and Saturday nights host a large number of ladyboys with live music. Admission is 70 baht, includes a small Leo beer.

Remember, there are two bus stations in Mae Sot, so be sure you know which station your bus departs from.

Another way to leave Mae Sot is to catch the minibus to Tak to connect to onward buses. These leave throughout the day around every 40 min from the old market area which is over the bridge from Green Guesthouse. The trip to Tak takes around 1.5 hr and costs 78 baht.

Songthaews travel frequently to Mae Sariang (north) and Umphang (south). They leave from the market or you can flag them down on route, but beware they are bone shakers and sometimes very full.

Further east of Umphang lies Khlong Lan National Park. The park covers around 300 sq km with its highest point at 1440-m-high Khun Klong Lan. Wildlife includes sambar deer, wild pig and macaques. There are also a number of waterfalls, including the Khlong Lan Waterfall which cascades over a 100-m-high rock face. The Khlong Nam Lai Waterfall is good for swimming.

In addition to the Mae Sot to Mo Chit (Bangkok) route, buses also travel directly to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Departure times from Mae Sot are 06:00 and 08:00 from the main bus terminal. Tickets can usually be purchased without problems at the station on the morning of departure and are 250-350 baht or 350-500 baht, respectively, depending on the service class. Ask your guesthouse to arrange an early morning tuk-tuk to the station. The ticket booth opens at 05:30. The Green Bus, direct to Chiang Mai, has moved its ticket office to a building on the Asia Hwy just to the west of Hwy 105 North. Total travel time to Chiang Mai is about 6 hr and Chiang Rai about 9 hr.

Along the Myanmar border Mae Hong Son is another destination north of Mae Sot.

One bus line serves Laem Ngop, (Ko Chang), and Mukdahan daily. The company that runs this service is Phetprasert. The Laem Ngop bus travels south towards Bangkok, veering east before entering the city, and then travelling along the coast via Chonburi and Rayong. The travel time from Mae Sot to the ferry departure point for Ko Chang is around 16 hr and the ticket costs 750 baht. The Mukdahan bus makes station-only stops, including Sukhothai, Phitsanulok and Khon Kaen. The company claims that total journey time is 12-14 hr.

Famous for its ruins is the ancient city Sukhothai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is about 170 km away from Mae Sot. As of June 2019 there's no direct connection to Sukhothai. However, you can take a minivan / minibus from the small bus station south of the market to Tak (78 baht). From Tak there are frequent bus connections to Sukhothai (56 Baht). Both journeys combined take around 3 hr.

Songthaews to the friendship bridge leave frequently from the far side of the Burmese market. Locals should be able to point you in the right direction. They depart throughout the day, but only when full, so wait times may be up to an hour. Best to go fairly early morning, when the locals do. THB20 per person, and be prepared to squeeze in. Motorcycle taxis cost THB60.

Be aware that there is no visa on arrival available in Myanmar, so you will need to have obtained a visa previously. Since 2016, the E-Visa is now also accepted at this land border. After passing through customs in Thailand, you can walk across the bridge (10-15 mins) and stroll into customs on the Myanmar side. Both customs offices have booths for foreigners, speeding up the process. From Myawaddy it is easy to catch onward transport into Myanmar (Hpa-An and Mawlamyine), although generally easier earlier in the morning before the border opens at 06:00 Thai expats; remember to obtain your Thai re-entry visa before crossing.