Destination Guides - Mae Sai Thailand

Mae Sai Thailand Overview

Mae sai is Thailand's northern most city and lies on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Mae Sai posses one of only a few officail crossing points between the two contries in the north of Thailand and therefore has become an important trading post for cross border trade. Although Mae Sai itself is a modern functional border town the market and comings and goings of people across the border makes Mae Sai a courful place

Mae Sai Attractions

	Border market
	There is a market on both the Thai and Myanmar sides of the border. A Myriad of goods are on sale here including many dried foodstuffs, electrical goods and goods imported from China.

	Crossing into Myanmar from Mae Sai Crossing from Mae Sai to Tachilek is possible if you want to get a closer look at life on the Myanmar side of the border and visit tachkileks vibrant market. You will need to pay the fee for the Myanmar visa which is 500 baht or 10 USD. If crossing please be aware you will be satmped back into thailand with a 15 day visa free entry stamp or a furtherentry will be used if you have a multi entry visa.

	Visa Run This is a g

	Wat Pra That Doi Wao If you are feeling energetic maybe you should take a hike to the Mae Yen waterfall. Situated about 12km from town this is quite a long trek so go prepared take some food and water. Ask around for directions. We at The Travel Hub have not yet made it so you are better off asking someone else for directions.

Snap Shots

Simple accommodation just outside Pai

Bamboo bridge over the Pai River

The Main Street in Pai

Cozy shopping

Bamboo Bungalows

Plenty of guest houses and stuff to do

Getting to Mae Saii from Chiang Mai

Air con minibus
There are a couple of private companies in Chiang Mai currently running air-con minibuses to Pai. The ride takes about 3 hours with a short toilet and coffee break about half way. The ticket price will include pick up from your hotel/guesthouse and you will be dropped in the center of Pai town. There are departures throughout the day. During the high season (December and January) book a couple of days in advance to make sure of a seat. Tickets can be bought at The Travel Hub office for 190 baht one way or 340 baht return

Local Bus

The cheaper but slower option is the local fan bus which departs from the main Arcade Bus Station in Chiang Mai. The ride takes 4 hours as the bus struggles with the steep winding road to Pai. The seats don't give a lot of leg room and it can get quite crowded on a busy day, but it is cheaper at around 80 baht for the trip. Some say it is safer than the minibuses simply because they cannot move as fast around the mountain hairpin roads.

Air
Yes you can now fly between Pai and Chiang Mai! Flights are operated by SGA (Siam General Aviation) and the fare each way is around 1,600 baht for the 35minute flight. Planes are 12 seater Cessna 208B Grand Caravan turbo prop aircraft. Currently there is one flight daily but this is likely to increase if the route turns out to be popular.

Getting to Mae Sai from Chiang Rai

Getting to Mae sai from Bangkok

Bus and Air
There are no direct transport connections between Bangkok and Pai everything routes through Chiang Mai
So once you've made it to Chiang Mai see the options above.

1 Day Chiang Rai Tour featuring Mae sai

2 Day 1 Night packages featuring Mae Sai