Mae Sai แม่สาย is located in the border between Thailand and Myanmar. It is a very busy area due to a number of locals, Myanmar nationals and tourists visiting the area. Many tourists go to Mae Sai to do the ‘border run’ to extend their stay in Thailand for another 14 days.
The scene is beautiful during sunset- with the lights reflected behind the darkening sky.
However, I would advise you to go during daytime and early so that you can have an enjoyable time walking around the various stalls available.
There are really a lot of things that can be found in Mae Sai- from food, clothings, handbags, bags, souvenirs, gemstones, household items, blankets and even gadgets. A lot of people buy their dried and preserved foodstuff like raisins, almonds, walnuts.
Note: Never buy the pendrives from Mae Sai- I had bought a few Kingston thumdrives and they were fake. It was sold to me at a price not much cheaper than the original and yet the goods were fake.
The main stalls are located behind the shoplots. If you go behind, you can see a huge amount of stalls and shops being set up.
The entrance to the temple Wat Phra That Doi Wao is also located near the shops which you need to access via the alleyways.
As it nears towards the sunset, you can see food massage services being offered literally at the roadside:
Many of the workers and stall owners have kids which there are no one to care for them at home. The kids often follow their parents out and while their parents are working, they would be playing quietly by themselves. Below, the kids playing a simple game of checkers:
Overall, it is a good place to visit if you are into shopping. There are items produced in Thailand and Myanmar but a lot of mass produced made in China stuff are also flooding the stalls.
