Mae Sot

Mae Sot (แม่สอด) is in Tak Province, Thailand at an elevation of around 210 m. It is a trade hub and has a substantial population of Burmese migrants and refugees. It is the main gateway by land between Thailand and Myanmar because of the Friendship Bridge connecting Mae Sot to Myawaddy in Myanmar.

Understand
The Friendship Bridge is part of the Trilateral Highway, aka Asian Superhighway, that is being built to connect Moreh, India and Mae Sot, passing by Mandalay. It has gained notoriety for its trade in gems and teak, as well as black market services such as people trafficking and drugs.

The city is part of Tak Province, 87 km from the city of Tak and 492 km from Bangkok. It is home to the district headquarters of Mae Sot District.

By bus
There are two bus stations in Mae Sot: just south of the market with lower frequency, and, the main hub. From the western bus station there are motor bikes and tuk tuk taxis. It is best to have a map and your destination on it. The typical fare for a shared ride into town and guest houses is not more than 20 baht - negotiate prior to embarking. For direct taxis the fare can be between 50 and 100 baht. Or you can walk the 2.5 km.

Tak
Access from Tak is 86 km along Hwy 105 via Doi Musoe (870 m) and Doi Son (784 m). Tak is on the regular bus route between Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Frequent mini buses connect Mae Sot directly with Tak bus station, starting at 05:30 and ending around 19:00, and should depart every 30 minutes from the southern end of Burmese market. 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 around 78 baht/person. The surcharge for putting a bicycle on the roof rack is 50 baht.

Bangkok
The travel time between Mae Sot and Bangkok is about 7-8 hr. There are buses in the early morning and late evening (20:00, 21:00, 22:00) from Mo Chit Bus Station in Bangkok - but arrive at least 2 hr before your intended journey if have not booked ahead. A single ticket for the VIP buses cost approximately 613 baht per person. Try to get a spot on the top level of the VIP bus away from the toilets at the bottom level. There are also cheaper 1st and 2nd class buses, 382 baht and 306 baht respectively. Towards Bangkok the buses leave Mae Sot early in the morning and throughout the evening (18:00, 19:00, 20:00, 21:00).

From Bangkok you will most likely arrive at the western bus station, but you can try to get off when the bus passes the city centre. Most buses from the city bus station towards Bangkok will also stop at the western bus station.

Chiang Mai
Green Buses from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot depart daily at 08:30 and 13:10 (1st class).

Sukhothai
Minivans from Sukhothai Bus Station leave 09:15, 10:15,14:15 & 16:15 (3 hr travel time).

Myanmar
You can walk across the directly from Myawaddy to Mae Sot. The bridge is 700 m long and the walk takes 10 min or so, but is completely exposed to the elements (no shelter/shade). You pass through immigration on the Burmese side, then again to enter Thailand where free visa-on-arrival (valid for 30 days) is available for many nationalities. Both sides of the bridge have "foreigner" booths which generally provide a fast service versus the crowds of locals crossing back and forth. Remember to have an address of your destined stay promptly available, as the Thai immigration staff may be a bit less nicer than the Burmese one demanding this information.

Buses leave twice daily from Yangon to Myawaddy directly, morning and evening, with several different companies to choose from. 9,000-15,000 kyat, often including transfer from Yangon city to the appropriate bus terminal. Depending on the departure they may be arrive to late to cross the border in time, so check ahead.

Buses (5,000 kyat) and various shared taxis (10,000 kyat) also go directly from Hpa-An and Mawlamyine throughout the day. Nobody wants to buy Myanmar kyat in Thailand, so best to exchange or spend all of it before you cross the border into Thailand.

Once arriving on the Thai side, you can catch a Songthaew to town for 20 baht, motorcycle taxi for 60 baht or attempt to hitchhike, which is generally fairly easy as all traffic is passing alongside Mae Sot, and often includes large pickups and trucks.

However, you may even cross back to Myanmar on the same day.

Get around
Getting around town can be done on foot. If you are planning to explore the surrounding area, bicycles and motorbikes can be rented at many guest houses for approximately 50 and 150 baht per day respectively. A helmet is supplied as the police fine people not wearing one. You have to leave your passport for bond and fill up with petrol when you return it. Cars and 4-wheel drives can be hired from several places around town (e.g., Well Driving, close to Casa Mia).

Taxis come in the form of motorbike or tuk-tuk, usually found near the Burmese market and outside Tesco. The drivers have special licence number jackets. Prices depend on distance, number of passengers and your negotiation skills, but as a rough guide, 50-100 baht for most places around the town.

Around the city (sorted by distance)


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.

Do

 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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.

Buy



 * 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.
 * 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.

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


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

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

Around Mae Sot
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 1½ 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 km2 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.

North
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.

South
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.

East
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 or 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.

Myanmar
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. 20 baht per person, and be prepared to squeeze in. Motorcycle taxis cost 60 baht.

Be aware that there is no visa on arrival available in Myanmar, so you will need to have obtained a visa previously. The E-Visa is also accepted at this land border. After passing through customs in Thailand, you can walk across the bridge (10-15 min) 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.