Last Monday, we took the Green Bus for a six-hour ride southwest of Chiang Mai to Mae Sot in Tak Province. Mae Sot is located a few miles from the Thai-Burma border, and it’s ground zero for NGOs, international aid workers, and volunteers to assist refugees and undocumented individuals from Burma. The UN estimates that there are over 200,000 refugees living in about ten camps in the Mae Sot area, with more people arriving on a daily basis. With the Moei River and Burma to the west, and a large mountain range to the east, and rice paddies and farms in every other direction, it’s not unusual to feel isolated and cut off from the rest of Thailand here, if not the rest of the world.

The town of Mae Sot is considerably smaller than Chiang Mai, with only a few farang-style hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops.  We stayed at the DK Hotel, which was comfortable and cheap. The signs above many of the local shops and businesses are in Thai and Burmese script, or possibly in Burmese only. And it’s true what we were told – Mae Sot is definitely hotter than Chiang Mai.

On Tuesday, we checked out a few guest houses for a long-term stay. While exploring the area, we visited a migrant school a few miles south of town, deep into the rice paddies and cow pastures. When we walked into the two-story school, made of cement block walls, a tin roof, and a dirt floor, Amber and I held each other’s hand and our heart skipped a beat. Dozens of migrant children on the 2nd floor stood at the railing, smiling and waving at us.  All of the children on the ground floor stood up from their old metal desks and greeted us in unison.  The school’s principal, teaching a lesson on a dusty green chalkboard, came running over and greeted us as if we were honored guests. Although we only stayed for a few minutes, the experience of seeing the migrant school humbled us and convinced us that Mae Sot is right where we need to be.

With that in mind, we found the perfect guest house for our needs, with new appliances and furniture, air-con and wifi, relaxing gardens, and friendly Burmese staff. Afterwards, we met up with our new friend Samuel, who is the older brother of our friend Doe Doe back home in Florida.  It was a great feeling to know we’ve traveled halfway around the world, and we already have a Karen friend in Mae Sot who we can trust completely. And Samuel and Doe Doe look so much alike!

On Wednesday, we explored the town a bit more. We visited the local Tesco Lotus, which is small but adequate for buying groceries. We wandered through the local Thai and Burmese market, which covers many blocks in the center of town. An endless amount of fresh fruit and vegetables can be found there, as well as cheap clothing and black market electronics, but don’t go near the beef, chicken, fish, etc. If the smell doesn’t kill you, the bacteria will! We even took a tuk-tuk the final few miles west to the Moei River and the Thai-Burma border. Just like that, after a year of saving money, planning, and dreaming, we were gazing across a narrow muddy river at the country of Burma itself (and the town of Myawaddy, to be exact).

We left early on Thursday morning on the Green Bus with a new-found appreciation for the relative luxury and comfort of Chiang Mai.

Tags: bus, Mae Sot, migrant school