Thai - Myanmar Border Town of Mae Sod!

in blurt •  2 years ago 

Hey there friends on Blurt. I think I'm due for a classic travel post. Something my girlfriend @junglegirl is really excelling at these days. So happy for her, and a big two thumbs up for all that support her blog. She's been doing a great job documenting our adventure traveling Thailand by motorbike through the first half of this year. We are now catching up on computer work and preparing to explore Chiang Mai eastward for much of the rest of the year.

So, here is a travel post of my own. It's a strange place, it's the farthest west point of the entire country. There was military with automatic weapons patrolling the area and right there along side of the border was this big market that specialized in Myanmar products; which you can see in the photos below.

There are also photos of the closed border with Thai flag at half mast. I believe the border is closed due to the ongoing political/military conflict in Myanmar. So Mae Sod is a strange place, as it's been hit with covid lock downs, no more tourist visa runs, and this Myanmar conflict. Mae Sod is looking very run down. Hardly anyone was in this huge market that at one time was probably quite busy.

I'm actually now starting to understand more about how things were pre-covid with the tourist "visa run" scam. Which is basically what it was, a scam. People that wanted to stay in Thailand longer, many would just come to border towns like this one, cross the border and come back in the same day and you could stay in Thailand another month or two.

Well, based on all the closed hotels, restaurants, and massage parlors, as well as this empty run down market, and no buses full of tourists coming and going all day long; it's quite clear that the visa run was very much supporting this border town economically as well as all the other border towns in the country. As much of a scam I find the "Visa run" to be. It's also sad seeing all these people out of work and their businesses shut down.

Now having pointed all that out.... come along and lets have a closer look at this market in Mae Sod Thailand! Woot woot!

Thank You

Photo Credit: World Travel Pro!

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I remember that place quite well l did many of visa runs there even use to spend a night or two in them casinos around there it's sad to see it that way now.

...that first photo you have (you and flowers/market) is the photo I need for an upcoming post !
(in the next day or four)....

Ok to use it ?

Sure, why not... what's the worst that could happen; I end up with a red nose blowing a cropped in Megadrive? All good! hahaha. Lets see what you come up with.

.....I end up with a red nose blowing a cropped in Megadrive

oh god no, I wouldn't do that !!!...

.... it's much worse !...lol
(depending on sensitivities)

Cheers - I'm on it !


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TY
IMG_20220809_124622_399.jpg
Land 🤬🥓

It's a little striking to see the nice gardens and buildings, with the barbed wire and fencing. Obviously there's a clash going on, the place is not fully in harmony with itself. Much of the world is this way, just not always displayed outwardly the same way. Humans have so many restrictions on each other, ways of controlling and caging each other, it's kind of a sad existence. Hopefully we can achieve peace and harmony within our lifetimes.
Thanks for the photos! Enjoy your travels : ))

Humans have so many restrictions on each other, ways of controlling and caging each other, it's kind of a sad existence.

It's that damn reptilian brain thing I watched a video on. Humans are dangerous.....Another thing I didn't take photos of cause I didn't want to draw attention to myself from the patrolling military was the bamboo shacks, some covered in plastic tarps with Myanmar people living in them, children playing in dirt, in total poverty....just on the other side of the river with the barbwire keeping them there. The world is a total shit show, but we already knew that. Thanks for the kind words and hope you and the fam are having a nice day there in Canada!

Yeah, we're a danger to ourselves... Carl Sagan said we have "dangerous evolutionary baggage" that we've picked up for survival along the way, but which no longer serves us in the modern age. Things like greed, and blind submission to authority. I hope to overcome my evolutionary baggage.
You too bro, have a great day :))

Just on the opposite side of the Moei river, you have the Karen population that the Burmese military is bombing lately. There has always been a strong Thai military presence with many checkpoints but I think it has gotten worse. To think that not so long ago Mae Sot was a lively place with Thai and Burmese people crossing the Moei river all the time to sell food or other things, it's really sad.

Yes, that is correct. It's a real tragedy what is going on across the border and how it's effected this town as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to add more to this post! :)

Some nice loudspeakers there!! 🔊🔊🔊🎵

Right, I'm sure they are fake and about 1/10 price you find in Germany. In fact "fake" everything comes out of Myanmar. Everything from Marlboro cigarettes to handbags to Levi jeans....Quality all sucks of course...

Haha😂fake speakers 😂.. The Chinese invented fake though.. 😉

Probably comes from China too! Who knows....

Everything changed after COVID-19. Like you said, a lot of people do not have any business to call theirs again. They lost it all to COVID-19. Anyways, Thailand looks very much beautiful. The road is neat too

Yes, the economic covid catastrophe has been rough all over the world.