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City Municipality in Tak, Thailand
Photo: Dl4gbe, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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.
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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. The herbal sauna is the shady shed at the back of the main temple.
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.
There is a beautiful Buddhist temple which contains a giant reclining Buddha. Continue straight on and find the Buddha's footprint.
A whole range of locally made and Chinese and Burmese imports, including bootleg Viagra, cigarettes, whiskey and designer goods, plus gems and plants.
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.
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 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.
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.
Yoga in a peaceful setting. Mat provided. Regular classes on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Advanced classes on Tuesday & Thursday.
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.
Explore the scenic surroundings of Mae Sot on bicycle. Fully-loaded Trek 3900 with disc brakes. 216, 218 and 220 inch available.
The increase in long term migrant labourers 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.
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.
Thai-Burmese restaurant with an expansive menu in English. Friendly, but very slow service.
Good Thai fusion cuisine.
Thai, Burmese, and Western food. Friendly, English-speaking staff, with homemade bread, pasta and cakes.
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.
Sleek décor with delicious cakes and chocolates. Air conditioning and free WiFi.
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.
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.
Fishtank, due to its location next to an aquarium shop
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 who used to work in a top Bangkok hotel.
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.
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.
Delicious Burmese, Thai, and Western food.
Delicious Burmese food, also some Thai dishes. Very friendly service.
Owned by a husband & wife, who bake daily. Free Wi-Fi and has a nice balcony on the 2nd floor.
Pleasant atmosphere in a bustling central location with good snacks and drinks.
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.
Homestay in grass roots project. 3 rooms available with fan, shared bathroom. Village has WiFi, taxi, restaurants and shops. 25 min by bike to town centre. Supports the orphanage.
Clean and simple. Staff speaks good English. Free WiFi.
TV, hot shower, fan and a bottle of water.
An attractive and quiet collection of small rooms run by a friendly local family. Warm showers, towel provided, fan or air-con rooms with decent WiFi.
Convenient location.
A well-used tourist hang out with mostly older NGO people, missionaries, and the like. Tiled big double rooms with air, Western toilet (hot water), cable TV, and a balcony; fan double rooms are cheaper. Don't get the rooms at either end as the noise can be a bit much from chickens and cars very early in the morning. The staff are nice; Internet is available in the lobby, as well as free WiFi throughout the hotel. Cable TV includes BBC, Al Jazeera, MTV, Thai, Burmese, and Chinese channels. Rating at Tripadvisorː 3 of 5 stars
A boutique style mid-range place to stay. Quiet location, close to the town, markets, eating places and en route from the bus station. Large, clean and very comfortable en suite bath, double rooms with locally crafted furniture and seating area. Have a fridge, cable TV, and free WiFi. Enjoy fresh coffee on the balcony or terrace and obtain excellent information from the Thai owner, Kung, or his friendly staff who speak Thai, English, and Burmese. High ratings on Booking.com and TripAdvisor.
A boutique hotel with style and atmosphere. Offers clean, quiet, affordable accommodations. All rooms are en suite with air-con, cable TV, hot showers, towels, complimentary water, free unlimited WiFi. Free bikes for guests. Services include pick-up and drop-off, massage, laundry, room service, English classes, cooking classes and photo/video. Native English-speaking staff can provide excellent information regarding the area and assist in organizing local sightseeing trips. Long-term rates available. Has a full-service restaurant on the ground floor. Good views of Mae Sot are from the penthouse. Conference room available. Smoking is permitted on balconies and the outside eating area of the restaurant.
A non-profit guest house run by a local organization that works in vocational training. Its design is unique and detailed and the rooms clean and comfortable. Described on their website as "boutique on a budget", it contains a secluded garden with a horseshoe recreation area and a beer-drinking table. Breakfast, air-con, hot water showers in all rooms.
Here is only spoken Thai. Six bungalows with private covered parking. Reasonable rooms with hot water bath, TV, free fast Wi-Fi and cold drinking water. Close to the tourist police for information and city map.
A tiny, friendly, and comfortable bed & breakfast that will make you feel like home when staying here. They also have a good selection on their menu with a big breakfast, excellent coffee, a selection of teas and delicious yogurt smoothies. Beautiful garden, clean nice rooms, air/fan & hot shower, towels & shampoo at premium quality, free WiFi, free coffee and tea available 24 hr at main living room, free bicycles for guests.
Has invested its time and energy on its interior with wood carvings covering ceilings and bedposts, leaving the exterior to be remarkable only by their omission. Air-con rooms with double beds are available, as are other variations.
Hotel décor is of old classic Thai-Myanmar style. Clean and well-maintained rooms making you feel like you're staying in a real hotel, not only overnight sleep room. Free WiFi and breakfast included in the room rate. Opposite and surrounding it are several restaurants and coffee shops: Bor-Kung Phao, dinner only with seafood caught in Myanmar; Krua Kon Wan, lunch & dinner Thai-style food; Som Tam shop; Chansuda Shop, Thai traditional desserts and snacks; Yellow Green Coffee Shop, coffee, tea and baked goods; T Corner, coffee and some food.
This market is famous for its countless local food stalls to the north with a great variety. To the south cloths and local handicrafts can be found.
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.
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