Blogs from Tachileik, Eastern Burma, Burma, Asia

Crossing the border from Thailand into Myanmar (Burma) was always going to feel like something of an adventure. The reality was an easy and generally swift process, with no real problems at all. We got to the Mai Sai bridge in the morning which we highly recommend as in the afternoon the queues can be quite lengthy. Leaving Thailand was just a case of getting our passports stamped. Then we dwelled a little reading the customs notices. Why can't you take more than TWO decks of cards into the country? Anyway, we then worried if our e-visas would be accepted at this entry point to Myanmar as the whole system is still quite new. Getting the e-visas was easy. Just follow the instructions on the government website, pay your money and wait for your application to ... read more

Caught a public bus from Chiang Rai bus station- so small no room to squeeze my legs in so had to sit sideways on the seat. Fare was a mere 39 baht for the hour and a half journey to Mai Sai. On arrival at the bus station there we all had to get a songthaew to the border costing another 15baht. 19 people plus 3 sacks of produce were crammed into that van- good job it was nonly a few kms and I hung onto the back outside, Filled in a departure card at immigration and then stood in an almost non-moving queue as both the people in front of me had overstayed their Thai visa so had to fill in paperwork and pay fines. When it was my turn I was stamped out with ... read more

Frig. I keep writing blog entries and they keep not saving, so when I come back to finish them they aren't there. Last Thursday the volunteers ( minus Natasha) hopped on a bus for 6 hours to travel to Chiang Mai, the biggest city in the northern part of Thailand. Then we waited an hour to jump on another 3 and a half hour bus to travel up to Chaing Rai. Heres the thing, all of us have tourist visas, but they are only good for 2 months, and then you have to renew them. In order to renew your visa and get another two months worth you have to leave the country, and then re-enter. This is where things get fun. Chiang Rai is not our final destination, but a stop over for the rest ... read more

From Sukhothai, I take the bus to Chiang Mai, Thailand's second city. I end up doing a whole bunch of nothing there, despite or maybe precisely because of the broad variety of hedonist activities on offer. You can do river cruises, trekking to minority villages, rock climbing, white-water rafting, abseiling, mountain biking, meditation and massage courses, cooking classes and visit elephant sanctuaries. I feel intimidated by the choices and the multitudes of travellers, backpackers, flashpackers, tourists and luxury seekers taking advantage of them. I spend a few days in the city mainly exchanging money, going to the night market and planning my onward trip, before evacuating myself to Chiang Rai. My host Félix, a Quebecois, warns me not to take the tourist bus. "When they see your farang face at the bus station, they'll want to ... read more

Hello Everyone from Burma/Myanmar! Haha yes thats right we are not in Thailand well not for the next hour or 2 anyway, were in Tachileik in far north eastern Myanmar! We are on our way from Northern Thailand to the Laos border at Chang Kong so we thought it would be amusing to go to Mae Sai and cross the border to Burma for an afternoon! Yes we are sad but it has been quite amusing and a visa for Myanmar only costs 10 dollars. We thought that it would be pretty much the same, as we are about 100 yds from our hotel in Thailand on the other side of the river! But to be honest its really different, its like a weird 50/50 mix of India and Thailand waaaaay more beggars and touts than ... read more