Mae Sot

Getting Here & Around

By Bike & Motorbike

This is a good way to see Mae Sot. Bai Fern Guesthouse rents bicycles for B50 a day and 100cc motorbikes for B100 a day. A passport will be required as a deposit for motorbikes.

By Bus

Mae Sot only has bus service to and from Bangkok. Cherd Chai Travel has first-class air-conditioned buses that leave from the new bus station at the rotary at the terminus of Asia Road, just outside town, for the eight-hour journey to Bangkok (B350); the bus also stops outside the Siam Hotel in town. It also has smaller second-class air-conditioned buses departing at 5:40 pm (6 pm outside Siam Hotel) for B241. Tanjit Tour provides a luxury 38-seat VIP bus for B450 that leaves from the Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit) in Bangkok and arrives at Intarakeeree Road, 50 feet from the police station in Mae Sot.

Minibuses are the main link between Tak city and Mae Sot. For B56 they take you from the Tak bus terminal to the old bus station on Chidwana Road, downtown Mae Sot. Going both ways, minibuses depart every 30 minutes between 6:30 AM-6 PM; the journey takes 1½ hours.

By Car

Bai Fern Guesthouse in Mae Sot rents pickup trucks for B1,200 per day.

By Songthaew

This is the main form of travel in and around Mae Sot. Blue songthaews to Umphang can be found on Ratchaganratchadamri 2 Road, about ½ km ( 1/3 mi) from the Telecommunications Building. The long four-hour ride is around B100; songthaews leave every hour from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Orange songthaews from the old bus station on Chidwana Road go to Mae Sariang, making stops in Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai, but it's an arduous six-hour trip (though it is very cheap). They run from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm.

If you're looking to get to the Thai/Myanmar border, jump on a songthaew at Prahsartwithee Road, 60 feet from the Siam Hotel. Hop on as they come along and expect to pay B30. For around B100 you can charter one privately.