Mae Sot in the western province of Tak is a laid-back town where you can enjoy slow travel by riding a bicycle to explore the many attractions.
This rice field is part of a 3 rai plot of land which has been used for growing organic rice for six years. It is located near and managed by the Wat Don Kaew Municipality School.
The influence of Myanmar culture in the town makes it all the more enchanting.
Mae Sot is a border outpost and separated from Myanmar by the Moei River.
People often use the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge or take a short ferry ride to cross into each country.
On Wednesday, local authorities of both countries will hold a ceremony to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the friendship bridge. To commemorate the occasion, authorities on both sides have discussed the possibility of allowing visitors from Thailand to explore more cities in Myanmar, in addition to Myawaddy, which is located on the other side of the river.
For a long time, Mae Sot has been home to ethnic groups such as the Karen, Hmong and Lahu, as well as Myanmar migrant workers. It is estimated that more than 100,000 Myanmar people live in the town and work in factories, on construction sites and in the hospitality business. Many shops also have signs written in Myanmar language.
Apart from traditional dress, another easy way to spot people from Myanmar is to check out their faces. Women and children love to apply thanaka , a yellow cosmetic paste made of ground thanaka bark. People from Myanmar believe that applying thanaka keeps their skin cool and smooth.
Mae Sot is known as a trading outpost for gems and teak imported from Myanmar. In addition, cooking ingredients like fresh or frozen shrimp, seasonings, agricultural and factory products are also traded. It is estimated that the trade value between the two countries is as high as 30 billion baht a year. This source of income is also a major contributor to the economy of Mae Sot.
Wandering around the town, you will notice several Myanmar-style temples. Among them are Wat Chumphon Khiri, noted for its golden pagoda built in the style of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon; Wat Thai Wattanaram, which houses a reclining Buddha built in the style of Myanmar; and Wat Manee Phraison, which houses more than 500,000 Myanmar-style seated Buddha images inside its praying hall.
Another highlight is Wat Phra That Doi Hin Kew, a forest temple which has a golden pagoda built on top of a gold-painted rock over a cliff. The style resembles the Kyaikhtiyo Pagoda, the iconic marvel built on top of the famed Golden Rock in Myanmar's Mon State.
Foodwise, there are several ready-to-eat Myanmar dishes offered by vendors at a morning fresh market in town.
There are also shops which mainly sell items for Myanmar people such as longyis, blouses, sarongs, purses and handicrafts. Not far from the fresh market is a gems market where you may find good prices for gems and jewellery in various colours and designs.
Wandering around the town at night, you will come across pubs, which play Myanmar music because the places are dedicated almost entirely to clientele from the country.
It is not far wrong to say that Mae Sot is in fact little Myanmar.
Known as Mae Sot Walking Street, this night market is located on Soi San Chao Cheen. Opened in 2009 by the Mae Sot Municipality, it’s main aim is to promote local food and products. According to the municipality, there are about 300 stalls offering food and drink, clothes and decorative plants. Some shops offer handicraft and art products, such as paintings and portrait drawings. There is also a small stage for students to display their skills such as dancing and singing. Walking street is open every Saturday from 4-
The woman is crafting the base of a wooden Buddha image at Talat Rim Moei. Located on the banks of the Moei River, the open-air market is a shopping centre for wooden furniture, handicraft items, jade and jewellery. There are also imported products from China and Myanmar such as electronic toys and accessories, beans, dried mushrooms, souvenir T-shirts and northern style clothes. Talat Rim Moei is at the end of Highway 105 (Tak-Mae Sot) and is close to the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. Songthaews ferry passengers from downtown Mae Sot to the market. Not far from the market is a Myanmar migrant community and small-sized furniture factories, where you can order a door, shelf or a dining table set.
The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge will celebrate its 15th anniversary on Aug 15. Travellers can cross into Myawaddy in the Kayin state of Myanmar for a day to explore the town. The immigration service is open from 6am to 6pm. As part of the East-West Economic Corridor, there will be a two-lane roadlink from Mae Sot to Mawlamyine (formerly Moulmein) city, the capital of the Mon State and the seaport in southeastern Myanmar, in the future.
Located about 11km from downtown Mae Sot, Wat Phra That Doi Hin Kew is known for its little golden pagoda. Coated in gold, the pagoda was built by the people of Myanmar to remind them of the Golden Rock pagoda back home (Kyaiktiyo Pagoda). The pagoda is about 1.5m high and contains Buddha relics and images. To pay respects to the pagoda, you need to climb 200 steps. This group of Karen children walked with us to the top.
Mae Sot was part of the battle route which King Naraesuan the Great used before crossing to Hongsawadi, which is now known as Bago. As a result, the Mae Sot Municipality built a shrine to honour the king. A budget of 7 million baht was set aside and the shrine, which was opened in 2005, was built in a public park.
Wat Manee Phraison, a Mahayana temple, was built in 1785, and is located on a 13 rai plot of land. One of the highlights is its gold-coated stupa, which is surrounded by five tiers of several small stupas. Called Chedi Viharn Samphuthae, the praying hall houses Myanmar-style Buddha images. Inside the hall, it houses 521,025 Buddha images.
This shrine was built about 70 years ago by the Chinese community in Mae Sot, most of whom are Teochow. There is an annual ceremony from Dec 1-5, and the shrine is the centre of the annual vegetarian festival, which this year will be held from Oct 15-23. Not far from the shrine is the Musjid Nurulislam. Half the Muslims in Mae Sot are migrant Myanmar workers, while some migrated from Bangladesh. There are also Islamic schools, an Islamic radio station and restaurants. During the great floods of last year, the Islamic community in Mae Sot donated food, including meat, to flood victims in Bangkok and the Central Plains.
A Myanmar woman shops for clothes in Talat Sod Tetsaban Mae Sot (or the Mae Sot Municipality Fresh Market). Here you can find many products from Myanmar, including food, household products and sarongs and longyi, or thanaka.
Located not far from Mae Sot Municipality Fresh Market, the Mae Sot Gem Market is the second largest gem trading centre in the Kingdom in terms of value. It was said that the gem trade started about 40 years ago when vendors from Myanmar crossed the border to sell jewellery in Mae Sot. Today, precious stones available in the market are not only imported from Myanmar, but also from Sri Lanka and Africa, according to the Tak Chamber of Commerce. Statistics show that the most popular gems are jade and ruby. The market is open daily from 9am to 3pm.
TRAVEL INFO
Mae Sot is 86km from Muang district of Tak. From Tak, take Highway 105, which ends at Rim Moei Market in the border town of Mae Sot. Along the way, there are several attractions such as Lan Sang National Park, Muser Hilltribe Market and a viewpoint between 39km-40km.
GETTING THERE:
NokAir (www.nokair.com) offers two routes _ from Bangkok and from Chiang Mai _ while KanAir (www.kanairlines.com) flies from Chiang Mai to Mae Sot. The airport is a few kilometres west of the main town.
ACCOMMODATION:
There are budget to four-star hotels and boutique resorts available in Mae Sot town: Centara Mae Sot (www.centarahotelsresorts.com), Irrawadee Resort (www.irawadee.com), Ban Arisa (055-535111 and 055-534777) and Baan Tung Guesthouse (baantungguesthouse.com)
RECOMMENDED PLACES FOR DINING:
Thai food in a good setting can be found at Khaomao-Khaofang (www.khaomaokhaofang.com) on Highway 105 (Mae Sot-Mae Ramad), grilled shrimp and other seafood dishes at
