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[polly_24]

Hey all,

I'm moving to Mae Sot to work as a volunteer, mainly teaching English.
Does anyone have any advice on a good guest house to stay in for a couple of days when I first get there, or where's good to hang out and meet people?
Also, does anyone know how to get to Mae Sot from Chiang Mai, where I'm flying to?
And will anyone be around that area who fancies meeting up? It'd be good to know someone in the same place!

Cheers,

Polly

[starlagurl]

Hey Polly, welcome to the forums!

Have you checked the TripAdvisor listings yet?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g317132-...Sot-Hotels.html

There are only 3 on there, so you don't seem to have much choice.

Did you want to fly there? There is an airport.

I don't know what the flight schedules might be like.

It looks like you might have to go back to Bangkok if you take the bus:

There are buses throughout the day from Moh Chit Bus Station in Bangkok. VIP buses are 700 baht as of June 2008. Try to get a spot at the top level of the bus (VIP) as you are not near the toilets at the bottom. They stink! There are as well, 1st class buses, and other levels. When you get the bus it goes all night so you get there very early. Remember that your ticket (VIP) gives you a free meal or drink at the stop that the bus makes in the middle of the night. When you stop take your ticket and you get one meal (pretty average) or a drink/yoghurt drink. When you arrive at Mae Sot there are Tuk Tuks and motor bikes to take you to the hotels. They are nice people and will charge depending on how many people and where you want to go.

(from Wikitravel)

[lunthom]

yes, that's right, you will have a meal during half way around midnight
for the VIP ticket you can have the meal in the air-condition room or you can change the ticket to some drink in case you don't want to have meal.

Mae Sot , no has flight from BKK or Chiangmai you can take local bus from Chiangmai to there at Arkhet station.

The way is curvity but very nice .

[starlagurl]

Thanks again lunthom, for the local's perspective!

[Paul]

I can't remember the name of the guest house I stayed in recently, but there are plenty around, so I wouldn't worry - you can just find one when you arrive.

The bus trip from Chiang Mai goes through some beautiful country.

Good hang out to meet people? Pretty much everywhere. Thai people are very friendly and if you dress politely and smile, you'll find friends very easily. Going to the local markets is great to get to know people as you buy your daily food. There is also some great cafes and restaurants around. There is quite a NGO community in Mae Sot. And mainly Thais and Burmese there have some fascinating stories and are amazing people.

[travelfool]

Hi,
I volunteered in Mae Sot back in 2002 and have some great memories from there. . Don't know if this advice is accurate any more, but there used to be a cool bar along the main avenue that continued to the Burmese border (don't remember the street name, unfortunately), opposite a small church, that was a favorite among expats. The guesthouse & restaurant next door was good.
Have a great trip!