Take a Trip to Mae Sot

Posted by Mr Tuk Tuk on December 17th, 2010 filed in Travel destinations, Up Country

Many expats and tourists in need of a visa extension frequently make the trip up to Mae Sot, a small town that sits on the Thai-Burma border. Mae Sot is quite an infamous town due to the high number of refugees and economic migrants that come into Thailand from the neighbouring town of Myawaddy in Burma. To most foreigners, Mae Sot is just a place to go in, make a visa run, and then leave. However, there are actually some great places to visit in Mae Sot, so next time you’re due for a visa run, why not plan to stay for a few days and enjoy the town.

It is easy to organise accommodation in Mae Sot. One of the best places to stay is Baan Thai. This place is always full, so book well in advance. Its beautiful Thai style teak villas that are set in lush garden areas are the perfect place to kick back and relax with a book and some delicious Thai or Burmese cuisine. The owner and manager is also very friendly and welcoming of everyone. If you like music, some great bars and restaurants often have live performances each night. One of my favourites is Aya, a great little cafe located on Intharakiri Road, just down from Baan Thai. Here you can enjoy some top Burmese cuisine, whilst listening to local artists perform. It is also a great place to meet local expats as well. Food at Aya is all prepared from scratch, so you can be sure that what you’re eating is the freshest it can possibly be.