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Chiang Rai Mae Sai Travel to Tachileik and Kengtung
Travel to Tachileik and Kengtung http://www.hotsia.com > Mae Sai > Travel to Tachileik and Kengtung. Visiting Myanmar at Tachileik before going to Kengtung. I have information that Myanmar now allows travel to Kengtung through the Mae Sai border. However, traveling to Kengtung, which is over a hundred kilometers inland, requires a Burmese guide with a daily fee of 1000 baht. Kengtung is a town in Shan State, Myanmar.
Once during the Second Pandemic War, Thailand governed Kengtung for three years. Kengtung is very worth visiting, and I must go someday. For now, I am saving up to visit Kengtung once. Meanwhile, let's start with an easy trip to Myanmar by visiting Tachileik, which is opposite Mae Sai. Everything here is easy to travel and ready, with many attractions. From Mae Sai, you must get a red pass card at Mae Sai district office, which takes just a short time.
Just present your ID card to the officer, who will enter your ID number into a nationwide online system and print a border pass for you. You must sign under your photo on the pass as the officer will mark it. This temporary border pass allows you to stay in Myanmar for 6 days. At the border checkpoint, Thai immigration will stamp your pass once, then you cross the Mae Sai River bridge to the Myanmar side.
Upon arrival in Myanmar, cross the road to the right side and go through immigration, where they will stamp your pass again. If you plan to stay for several nights, inform both Thai and Myanmar officers. This completes the Myanmar entry process smoothly. Important: keep this pass carefully and do not lose it, or it will cause trouble when returning to Thailand. Outside the checkpoint, locals offer tours to visit the Jade Buddha Temple, Shwedagon Pagoda replica, and the Long Neck Karen village. The round trip costs 200 baht, and payment is collected upon return to the checkpoint.
Another tour option goes 10 kilometers further to the toll checkpoint for Kengtung. The round trip fee is as stated here, valid in November 2010. I chose both routes and negotiated the price. The tuk-tuk drivers are Thai but of Tai Yai ethnicity, as Tachileik is a Tai Yai area under Kengtung, Shan State, Myanmar. The trip starts with a visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, featuring a 3D Buddha statue that seems to follow you with its gaze.
Next, we had lunch while I tried Burmese beer. Then we visited the Shwedagon Pagoda replica, followed by the Long Neck Karen village, and took a long ride to the Kengtung checkpoint. After that, we were dropped off at the border, ending the trip. I noticed that every house in Myanmar sells bottles of oil because Myanmar's fuel is much cheaper than in Thailand. Thai people often fill up fuel on the Tachileik side. For example, 91-octane gasoline costs 23.50 baht per liter in Myanmar, compared to 31 baht in Thailand, saving 7 baht per liter. Filling 50 liters saves 350 baht.
Fuel in Myanmar is indeed much cheaper than in Thailand. Inside the inner checkpoint area, there are many pagodas and large Burmese-style Buddha statues. Uncle In, a Tai Yai guide, told me the main Buddha statue's face is real gold. I couldn't tell if it was genuine, but the statue looked very sacred and unique, unlike anything I've seen before. During the trip, I also stopped to try grilled eggs in Tai Yai style, chatted with local vendors, and walked through rice fields greeting the farmers.
Unfortunately, I didn't stay overnight this trip. Next time, I plan to stay two nights here and continue traveling to Kengtung. Stay tuned for Mr.Hotsia's Myanmar travel series. Topics include: Tachileik's flowing Ruak River heading to the Golden Triangle, the route from Tachileik to Kengtung http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP6V53Phg8U, Lum Temple in Tachileik http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVBQQZduCsg, and Uncle In the tour guide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzK0cMj3dmI Tai Yai candle making, the sound of fortune sticks in Myanmar http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CSKPE-2sX4 Tachileik border to Kengtung http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IomweubvcqY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyYH_Y8kzmw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_mqflFPrR4 To cross the border to Tachileik, Myanmar, you must get a border pass at Mae Sai district only. Border crossing procedures at Mae Sai, Ruak River at Tachileik, Myanmar.
This is a popular spot for dining. Sharing photos of Myanmar buffaloes and the low paddy fields of Kagon Fang. Stopped to eat grilled eggs by the roadside and chatted about Tai Yai culture with locals. Fuel station in Myanmar. Ruak River flows through Tachileik before joining the Mekong at the Golden Triangle. Vehicle checkpoint to Kengtung. Young novice monks riding bicycles in Myanmar. Tai Yai people at Tachileik. Paddy fields at Tachileik. Reclining Buddha at Lum Temple, Tachileik. Kengtung has many pagodas. Burmese temples and pagodas.
The golden-faced Buddha at this temple has a real gold face. The golden face is visible. Even Burmese people can't read its name. The Buddha at Lum Temple seen from afar. Tai Yai people making candles at the temple. Mr.Hotsia's trip to Tachileik / Mae Sai. Traveling to Tachileik. Shwedagon Pagoda replica.
