I debated whether I should even visit Mae Sot after my excursion to Thi Lor Su waterfall, for two main reasons. The first? The border city’s checkered reputation.
In fact, when I woke up the morning after my arrival back from the namtok, I hard some kind of explosion. Which was strange, because I hadn’t felt unsafe or even really sketched out the previous evening, which was me do some admittedly light exploring.
The second reason I hesitated, of course, was the lack of well-publicized things to do in Mae Sot. Would it even be worth a full day of my time on a packed trip, which I was already almost a month into by this point?
Where to Stay in Mae Sot
As a result mainly of cross-border trade and the humanitarian work being done over the river in Myanmar, there are more Mae Sot hotels than you might think of. For me, however, a certain semblance of luxury was non-negotiable if I was going to spend a night here after finishing up at the waterfall, rather than flying directly back to Bangkok. I chose to stay at The Teak Hotel, although I initially had another one booked.
Now, I don’t have any affiliation with this hotel, and so I have no other reason to recommend it than my own excellent experience there. With this being said, I would recommend spending more rather than less during your time in Mae Sot. That’s because while this is an interesting city, it’s not necessarily a comfortable one for a tourist, and in places can even be sketchy. You’ll want a cozy and secure place to base yourself while you’re here, trust me!
What to Do in Mae Sot
Explore the unique town center
Mae Sot’s townscape is quite industrial, with one main east-west road and very few notable attractions (more on those in a minute) located north and south of it, sometimes by another street or two. If I’m honest, I spent my first couple of hours there walking to and from a local laundromat and doing laundry there. Not a great opportunity for photos, but wonderful for people-watching.
Eat Burmese food
Another thing I discovered while wandering through central Mae Sot? A lovely Burmese restaurant, with amazing food (the tea-leaf salad was so good I went back twice for it) and incredible hospitality. “Eat like this is your home,” the woman who owns the restaurant, told me as she delivered my food. We chatted for a long while after that; she told me she had ambitions to expand to Chiang Mai—and, after the war, back to Myanmar. Sadly, however, I just checked and the restaurant has closed.
Ms May
Visit the (limited) tourist attractions
Among the relatively few things to do in Mae Sot is the Burmese-inflected temple of Wat Thai Wattanaram, which honestly made me feel like I was in Myanmar. Like everywhere else I went in town, the only other tourists there were local, and there simply weren’t many of them. If I’d had a little more time in Mae Sot, I could’ve easily spend the entire day exploring this gorgeous site.
Go to the Myanmar border
Instead, I continued my Mae Sot itinerary by heading toward the Myanmar border. Well, toward Rim Moei Market, which is basically right on the border. I’d ready before visiting that the market had become much less busy since covid, and boy was that true. In fact, it seemed basically not to exist anymore, a reality to which my Grab driver (who was still waiting in the area when I finished up) was keenly aware.
(But maybe don’t cross it)
To be sure, although I briefly began walking from the area where the market was supposed to be to the Moei River, I stopped. The entire atmosphere sketched me out, and because the river is located a few hundred meters beyond the border checkpoint itself, I wasn’t entirely sure that the waterfront would be safe. I don’t know how common it is for scam center thugs to abduct foreigners from the frontier zone in broad daylight, but I sure wasn’t sticking around long enough to find out.
How Long Should You Stay in Mae Sot?
Although Mae Sot and its vicinity are home to a reasonable number of attractions, I can’t imagine staying longer than a day here, at least not in this day and age. There’s an argument, of course, that the situation might’ve been different before the situation in Myanmar was so tense. Now, however, in addition to the fact that crossing the border is no longer advisable, there’s the added fear that spending too long in Mae Sot could see you kidnapped and taken across it against your will.
I would actually that rather than focusing on how many days in Mae Sot you spend, you should be clear about your intention of being here. Are you simply relaxing after a trek, or are you here based on circumstance (i.e. you won’t get back to the city until after the last flight of the day leaves)? Or, like me, do you actually want to explore what it has to offer, keeping in mind that you do need to be a bit vigilant as you go around.
Other FAQ About Visiting Mae Sot
Is Mae Sot safe?
Mae Sot is relatively safe compared to the average city in the world, but presents unique potential hazards that are present in few other cities in Thailand. Because of its proximity to the Myanmar border, it isn’t unheard of for representatives from scam centers to recruit (willingly or otherwise) foreigners to come with them for “job opportunities.” Likewise, you should make sure you’re up to date on your vaccines, as aid workers sometimes bring disease back over with them.
Is Mae Sot worth visiting?
As long as you’re fine with needing to be a bit more vigilant than in other Thai cities, Mae Sot is an interesting place to visit. This is as much because of the limited range of attractions here, as it is the opportunity to eat delicious Burmese food and to enjoy the…unique atmosphere created by the fact that it sits on the border of Myanmar.
Can foreigners visit Mae Sot?
Foreigners can visit Mae Sot, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, upon arriving at Mae Sot Airport, you will have your passport checked before being allowed to proceed out of the arrivals hall; this will also occur when you fly back to Bangkok. Second, while not an imminent danger, you do need to be cautious of who you talk to, and (at least as of the mid-2020s) avoid crossing the border into Myanmar at all costs. If you aren’t, you could get unwittingly pulled into a human trafficking scheme.
The Bottom Line
The list of things to do in Mae Sot is not the only reason you should come here—it certainly wasn’t convincing to me. Likewise, I can’t lie that some aspects of being in the city sketched me out (even if I can also admit that I internalized some of what I read about it before arriving). Still, for better or for worse, Mae Sot is unlike any other city in Thailand. In particular, if you have a night and morning free after exploring the more rural regions of surrounding Tak province, then I highly recommend giving Mae Sot a chance. Need personalized help deciding which secondary destinations in Thailand are actually worth your time? This is one of the many issues I clear up when you hire me to plan your trip!
