Oct 25-26 2022 |
This was a nice short 2.5 hr ride, a pleasant alternate to the hellacious long ride the day before. It was also the entry to the exciting roads and more off-the-beaten-track places of NW Thailand.
The road from Tat to Mae Sot was excellent, basically a freeway with very little traffic. Mae Sot is a major Thailand-Myanmar border crossing, and gateway of the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMT Highway), a trade route I was not previously aware of, and one that is not fully functional these days, as one of its two border crossings is still closed due to Covid (and probably other factors in Myanmar, I would imagine).
Not many tourists hit Mae Sot, which makes it more appealing. Apparently, previously there were many UN and development agency folks there, but no longer. A few highlights of my one night stay were: 1) riding by a gem market overflowing out onto the street, with groups of 5-10 guys in groups circled around examining stones; 2) a decent Indian dinner at [pending]; 3) a visit to a herbal sauna at a temple; 4) breakfast at a KRUA Canadian restaurant, for a 5-star All-English breakfast, along with some great dialogue with the (Canadian) proprietor, who has lived in Mae Sot for 22 years. I asked him who is his customers base, and he said locals seeking to experience "Canadian cuisine. Interesting the menu is largely Mexican food
I think there are many interesting things to do in Mae Sot. But I didn't do any of them.
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