Mae Sai/Tachilek Border Info

[sunholidaysun1]

Thanks Briggsy for the info on ABC, I will give it a try when I am up there next week.

Point to remember when going into Myanmar (Tachilek) from Mae Sai . The immigration office in Myanmar will charge you 500 Tbht /$10 USA., for entering Myanmar . With the exchange rate being what it is , it is cheaper to give them $10 BUT the dollars must be in near on MINT condition, old dollars , torn , dirty , creased, will NOT be accepted.

If you are not going into Myanmar other than to get your entry and exit stamp and u-turn straight back to Thailand it will still cost you the same money .

Also, those going into Myanmar , will have to leave their passports at the Myanmar Immigration office and collect it on exit from the country .

Tourists travelling into Myanmar must also be aware that it is NOT the gateway to the country , I believe you are only permitted to travel 300 km inside the country from this point and even if you have a Visa for Myanmar , you will still not be allowed permission from this point.

Those with Visa's wishing to see the country must go into Myanmar by the correct border poing such as Rangoon.

A German couple , backpacking with visa for Myanmar, were told this by an Myanmar immigration officer while I was in the office getting my stamp. The Germans had to return to Thailand and find another way in.

You can also travel all the way from Tachilek to the Myanmar/Chinese border but you are not allowed to enter China from there.The Myanmar / Chinese people are only allowed. .

[sceadugenga]

If you read back in this topic you'll see that the lady with the jewelry stall in front of the bank on the Thai side will sell you US$10 bills for 400B.

Some days she wants 450B though.

[tigerbalm]

If you are talking about the $10 one gives the Burmese border officials forget it they only take 500 Bht now, i think they have cottoned on to 500 bht is better than the $10 equivalent 340 Bht

[jetzie]

If you are talking about the $10 one gives the Burmese border officials forget it they only take 500 Bht now, i think they have cottoned on to 500 bht is better than the $10 equivalent 340 Bht

I went across the borders inbound for Kengtung last week, they still accept the 10usd

[Briggsy]

If you are talking about the $10 one gives the Burmese border officials forget it they only take 500 Bht now, i think they have cottoned on to 500 bht is better than the $10 equivalent 340 Bht

Not so.

I crossed the border on 28 June and paid with a $10 bill.

[jetzie]

Hi all,

any updates on the tachilek borders? heard that it is closed today?

[halfhead]

I was there on the 19th,all grand,still taking Dollars

[chiangrai]

one of the officers tried to tell me they don't take u.s anymore but i was stuborn and he backed down,

i think he was just trying his luck because i was the only one in the room,

they don't give a receipt for the baht so i supose the can change it into dollors themselves and make money

the gold shop near kasicorn bank sells dollars at a good rate,

my question is about the limit on 15 day exemptions,

anywone know if there actually inforceing it in mai sai,

thanks

[RubbaJohnny]

That would suck living in Mae Sai and having to go to Vientiane for a border run.

Drive to C Khong in an hour and border run to Ban Huey Zai loads of folks do it from C Rai for a change or Bus to mae Sodt direct the yellow one

[jetzie]

I'll be bring my parents to cross the borders of Maesai/Tachilek next month.

We would arrive at the Maesai bus station around 7.30am in the morning, i figured that we should get some place for a good meal and chill out till mid morning before crossing the borders.

Any suggestions so early in the morning?

[jetzie]

Anyone knows what time does the Lotus Maesai open?

[halfhead]

Anyone knows what time does the Lotus Maesai open?

The one in Meachan opens at 9.00

[Donnyboy]

what is the state of the main rd up to Mae Sai like at the moment with the reports of mudslides etc? Doing a visa run early next week. Thanks.

[sceadugenga]

I'd be amazed if the Chiang Rai/Mae Sai road was ever cut by mudslides.

Be having a run up there myself, possibly Monday so I'll report back.

[Donnyboy]

what a great visa run

left CM @ 8am, no problems and sign of any rain. Took 3 hours to Mae Sai, no waiting at either passport control, stopped in @ Charin for lunch on the return leg, traffic very light. No mud or puddles to be seen.

[sceadugenga]

Thanks for that mate, I'm off there tomorrow myself.

[Cobrabiker]

Is there a limit on the border run for a 15 days' visa? I read it some where, thought it was up to a max of 4 times back to back, just want to be sure.

[sceadugenga]

Go to the Visas subforum mate, it will be discussed there. I've seen a few comments on this elsewhere and at the moment it only seems to be happening at the Vientiane Embassy.

I was in Mae Sai yesterday but I'm not using visa exemptions so cannot help you.

[Cobrabiker]

What are the attractions at MongLa and Kengtung? Any red light district? Karaok or whatever? Never been there yet, but like to know more.

[sceadugenga]

There's a couple of guys here know the area.

My take on it is that it's pretty much hills tribes tourism country.

Bear in mind that it's not as civilised as Thailand and keep out of trouble.

[Fishenough]

I'll be bring my parents to cross the borders of Maesai/Tachilek next month.

We would arrive at the Maesai bus station around 7.30am in the morning, i figured that we should get some place for a good meal and chill out till mid morning before crossing the borders.

Any suggestions so early in the morning?

Why not considering spending the night in a guest house? A couple guest houses in Chiang Rai are just great for the 200 Baht a night.

[brahmburgers]

What are the attractions at MongLa and Kengtung? Any red light district? Karaok or whatever? Never been there yet, but like to know more.

I visited Keng Tung several months ago. It was ok. Found a couple r.l. places, but they weren't at all farang friendly, and I tend to blend in reasonably well at such abodes.

for a guest house, I recommend; Harry's, north of town about 1.5 clicks.

They rent motorbikes. It's cheap, friendly, and has modest b'fast included. If you go there, check out how each building on the property is a different architectural type.

It's said that you can't leave town because of internal check points at the west, east and south roads of the city. Only north is open hwy. However, I was able to cruise in and out on any road I picked without hassles.

Haven't yet seen Mongala. Heard it's not so farang friendly, as it's quite Chinese oriented.

[el jefe]

What are the attractions at MongLa and Kengtung? Any red light district? Karaok or whatever? Never been there yet, but like to know more.

I visited Keng Tung several months ago. It was ok. Found a couple r.l. places, but they weren't at all farang friendly, and I tend to blend in reasonably well at such abodes.

for a guest house, I recommend; Harry's, north of town about 1.5 clicks.

They rent motorbikes. It's cheap, friendly, and has modest b'fast included. If you go there, check out how each building on the property is a different architectural type.

It's said that you can't leave town because of internal check points at the west, east and south roads of the city. Only north is open hwy. However, I was able to cruise in and out on any road I picked without hassles.

Haven't yet seen Mongala. Heard it's not so farang friendly, as it's quite Chinese oriented.

Posts 194 and 196 have plenty of info on Mongla (and Kyiang Tung) but, basically, since the Chinese run casino closed, there's no reason to go.

I'm still waiting for Chief Monkey to explain, as promised, how he got around all the checkpoints and was able to visit anyplace he wanted to between Kyiangtung and Tachilek.

Edited November 28, 2009 by el jefe

[brahmburgers]

What are the attractions at MongLa and Kengtung? Any red light district? Karaok or whatever? Never been there yet, but like to know more.

I visited Keng Tung several months ago. It was ok. Found a couple r.l. places, but they weren't at all farang friendly, and I tend to blend in reasonably well at such abodes.

for a guest house, I recommend; Harry's, north of town about 1.5 clicks.

They rent motorbikes. It's cheap, friendly, and has modest b'fast included. If you go there, check out how each building on the property is a different architectural type.

It's said that you can't leave town because of internal check points at the west, east and south roads of the city. Only north is open hwy. However, I was able to cruise in and out on any road I picked without hassles.

Haven't yet seen Mongala. Heard it's not so farang friendly, as it's quite Chinese oriented.

I'm still waiting for Chief Monkey to explain, as promised, how he got around all the checkpoints and was able to visit anyplace he wanted to between Kyiangtung and Tachilek.

Is someone calling me 'Chief Monkey'? Is El Jefe (the boss) giving me that a moniker for having slipped around internal Burmese checkpoints? Or is there someone else who does the same. It sounds rather derogatory. Is El Jefe jealous of such antics? Or perhaps he see monkeys as somehow more wiley than their destructive cousins, a.k.a. humans. Because of the moniker, I won't divulge my methods, though I will add that a week ago I crossed in to and back out of Burma without paying a satang to border guards. I'm also probably the first falang to cross over and back on the new 'friendship Bridge' which is 2 miles east of the Mae Sai bridge. Though that boast is not connected with the previous boast of going in and out of Burma without paying money (or getting any imm stamps)

BTW, any farang who wants to fly to other parts of Burma, outside of Shan State, can do so out of Tachilek. They'll need a full-fledged visa (from Burmese embassy in Bkk, etc) to do so. A border crossing visa at Tachilek won't cut the mustard.

[el jefe]

What are the attractions at MongLa and Kengtung? Any red light district? Karaok or whatever? Never been there yet, but like to know more.

I visited Keng Tung several months ago. It was ok. Found a couple r.l. places, but they weren't at all farang friendly, and I tend to blend in reasonably well at such abodes.

for a guest house, I recommend; Harry's, north of town about 1.5 clicks.

They rent motorbikes. It's cheap, friendly, and has modest b'fast included. If you go there, check out how each building on the property is a different architectural type.

It's said that you can't leave town because of internal check points at the west, east and south roads of the city. Only north is open hwy. However, I was able to cruise in and out on any road I picked without hassles.

Haven't yet seen Mongala. Heard it's not so farang friendly, as it's quite Chinese oriented.

I'm still waiting for Chief Monkey to explain, as promised, how he got around all the checkpoints and was able to visit anyplace he wanted to between Kyiangtung and Tachilek.

Is someone calling me 'Chief Monkey'? Is El Jefe (the boss) giving me that a moniker for having slipped around internal Burmese checkpoints? Or is there someone else who does the same. It sounds rather derogatory. Is El Jefe jealous of such antics? Or perhaps he see monkeys as somehow more wiley than their destructive cousins, a.k.a. humans. Because of the moniker, I won't divulge my methods, though I will add that a week ago I crossed in to and back out of Burma without paying a satang to border guards. I'm also probably the first falang to cross over and back on the new 'friendship Bridge' which is 2 miles east of the Mae Sai bridge. Though that boast is not connected with the previous boast of going in and out of Burma without paying money (or getting any imm stamps)

BTW, any farang who wants to fly to other parts of Burma, outside of Shan State, can do so out of Tachilek. They'll need a full-fledged visa (from Burmese embassy in Bkk, etc) to do so. A border crossing visa at Tachilek won't cut the mustard.

Someone named "Chief Monkey" has posted several times to this thread. He promised to post info, something you are promising not to do. Your boasts are meaningless.

[chang35baht]

[my friend I]

Is there a limit on the border run for a 15 days' visa? I read it some where, thought it was up to a max of 4 times back to back, just want to be sure.

They will write on your passport when you are done. The amount of times seem to vary from person to person.

[brahmburgers]

Someone named "Chief Monkey" has posted several times to this thread. He promised to post info, something you are promising not to do. Your boasts are meaningless.

ok, I didn't know about a poster named 'Chief Monkey.' So there's at least one other nut who does that, interesting. BTW, I never promised to do, or not do anything. Boasts are boasts. They're not meant to have meaning. If it doesn't jingle your bells, then so be it. Perhaps if I boasted I shot a 67 at Waterford yesterday, that would have meaning for you, if you're a golf nut. So happens, I don't play golf. I climb rocks instead.

[el jefe]

ok, I didn't know about a poster named 'Chief Monkey.' So there's at least one other nut who does that, interesting. BTW, I never promised to do, or not do anything. Boasts are boasts. They're not meant to have meaning. If it doesn't jingle your bells, then so be it. Perhaps if I boasted I shot a 67 at Waterford yesterday, that would have meaning for you, if you're a golf nut. So happens, I don't play golf. I climb rocks instead.

Great. We're in total agreement then.

[anonymouse]

Just did my visa run to Mai Sai over the weekend and stayed overnight for a change, it wasn't a bad night to stay as they are holding walking street markets this December with a lot of stalls selling a good variety of food it beats sitting in a grotty hotel room with the latest Grisham anyway.

The next one is the 4th weekend in December.