Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [348]
All buses now leave from the bus station 850m west of the town centre on Th Intharakhiri. There are frequent minivans to Tak (56B, every half-hour from 7am to 6pm), as well as to Sukhothai (140B, six departures from 7am to 2.30pm) and Phitsanulok (176B, six departures from 7am to 2.30pm).
The Green Bus (114 ext 8000; www.greenbusthailand.com) runs two daily departures to Mae Sai (2nd class air-con/1st class 388/499B, 12 hours, 6am and 8am), with stops in Lampang (2nd class air-con/1st class 181/232B, four hours), Chiang Mai (2nd class air-con/1st class 237/304B, six hours) and Chiang Rai (2nd class air-con/1st class 354/455B, 10 hours).
There are now also daily departures to Mukdahan (1st class 675B, 12 hours, 6pm) and Laem Ngob (1st class 750B, 15 hours, 5pm) in Trat province.
There are several daily departures to Bangkok (2nd class air-con/1st class/VIP 328/421/655B, eight hours, 11 departures from 8am to 9.45pm).
Getting Around
Most of Mae Sot can be seen on foot. Regular srng·ta·ou serve surrounding communities including Moei (15B). Motorcycle taxis and shm·lór charge 20B for trips around town.
Several tourism-related business around town rent out vehicles. Ban Thai Guest House ( Click here) rents out motorbikes. Cars and vans can be hired at Bai Fern restaurant (opposite). And bicycles are available for rent at Borderline (opposite), which also includes a suggested tour of the area.
Jit Motorcycle (0 5553 2099; 127/4-6 Th Prasat Withi; motorcycles per day 150B) rents out motorcycles.
Well Driving Service (0 5554 4844; wdeacha@yahoo.com; 764/7 Th Intharakhiri; car hire per day 1200-1500B, with driver per day 1800-2500B) offers a variety of vehicles for rent, both with and without driver.
AROUND MAE SOT
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Doi Muser Hilltribe Cultural Center
At the top of the mountain on the road to Tak is this research and cultural centre (0 5551 2131, 0 5551 3614; Km26, Th Tak-Mae Sot; bungalows 200-700B) where you can visit for the day, or spend the night. Here they grow and sell crops such as tea, coffee, fruits and flowers. Call ahead to find out about seeing a cultural performance. The temperature can go as low as 4°C in the winter. During November and December, boo·a torng (a kind of wild sunflower) blossom around the centre.
Just up the road, at Km29, is the huge roadside hill-tribe market featuring a variety of agricultural products, in addition to hill-tribe handicrafts.
Taksin Maharat & Lan Sang National Parks
These small national parks receive a steady trickle of visitors on weekends and holidays, but they are almost empty during the week.
Taksin Maharat National Park (0 5551 1429; admission 200B) covers 149 sq km; the entrance is 2km from the Km26 marker on Rte 105. The most outstanding features here are the 30m, nine-tiered waterfall Nam Tok Mae Ya Pa and a record-holding à·bàhk, a dipterocarp that is 50m tall, 16m in circumference and 700 years old. Birdwatching is said to be particularly good here; known resident and migratory species include tiger shrikes, forest wagtails and Chinese pond herons.
Nineteen kilometres before Tak, Lan Sang National Park (0 5551 9278; admission 200B) preserves a 104-sq-km area of rugged, 1000m-high granite peaks – part of the Tenasserim Range. A network of trails leads to several waterfalls, including the park’s 40m-high namesake.
Taksin Maharat National Park offers utilitarian rooms (1000-2400B) that sleep between four and 10 people and a camping ground (tent sites 100B). Lan Sang National Park rents rustic bungalows (400-4000B) that can accommodate two to 32 people. Two-person tents (100B) are also available. Food service can be arranged in both parks. For further information, and to book accommodation, contact the Royal Forest Department (0 2562 0760; www.dnp .go.th).
The best way to reach the parks is by private car, but the bus from Mae Sot to Tak will drop you off on the road where you can easily