Tachilek Things to Do

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This place is worth visiting,for the magnificent pagoda and for the view of the surrounding area. The golden pagoda is quite large and one can wander round the compound looking at the various statues. We visited the site at mid-day when it was very hot, probably better to visit early morning. There is a line of golden monks standing with their alms bowls. The pagoda was constructed in the late nineties and house a few important images.

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If you leave the local market on the northern side, turn right on the road, a few mteres later you will pass over a small bridge, then immediately on the left will be a small compound with a temple inside and several spirit houses where you will find locals making their offerings such as fruit, drink and money. It's very interesting to see the locals pray while holding their incense sticks in front of these small spirit houses. Inside the temple is a large Buddha where people also leave their offerings.

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A walk round the local market is interesting but can be very muddy if it is the rainy season. This is mainly a market for the locals to purchase their every day needs and is very colourful. Be careful as porters rush around with baskets and boxes delivering them to the stalls. Good for photography. Try the dragon fruit if you see it for sale--it's delicious.

If you pass through the grounds of the Peace Golden Land Nunnery (ask permission first) you will come to a set of steps which you can follow for 15 minutes and you will eventually reach a small road which will lead you to the top of a hill where a stupa is being constructed and you will be able to have a magnificent view of Mae Sai and parts of Tachilek. The chief monk was very friendly and eager to talk. The climb up there takes 30 minutes and is quite energetic, but worth the effort.

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It is interesting to visit the temple where one can meditate. It is run mainly by the nuns and accepts visitors in their apartment block, most visitors are form Thailand and come for one or two weeks meditation and can stay there free of charge (meals also) but most give a healthy donation when they leave. We were also invited to return at a later date to meditate. We chatted to the head nun who led us in to the meditation temple where people stood or sat motionless in deep meditation, some won't move a muscle for hours. Never having sen people meditate i found this quite interesting. I believe the temple was located at Peace Golden Land Nunnery. When you enter Tachilek there are foto copied maps available for 10 baht which will show you all the tourist sites.

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We went to visit the long necks who are located at the upmarket Regina Hotel by the golf course. To enter you pay an entrance fee, can't remember how much it was but i thought it was a little expensive because once you are on the premises the representatives from the long necks and Akha are all located in souvenir shops on the side of some steps leading to the top of a hill where there is a building where we were promised that we would be able to watch to them dancing, but it wasn't to be as they would only dance if there were enough tourists. We spoke to some of the long necks but it was obvious that the older women were part of the tribe but the younger ones were just girls employed to imitate the long necks for commercial purposes. I tried to look carefully at the rings round their necks but they were partly covered by a cloth, i was pretty sure they would be removed after their day's work. As Soon as you cross the bridge from Mae Sai the tuk-tuk drivers will try and encourage to take you to see them, about 5 kms from the bridge. We walked then found some teenagers who took us across the golf course on their motorbikes. Probably i would give this place a miss, as i guess it's a tourist trap.

As soon as you cross the bridge into Tachilek turn right and you will be in a huge marker selling all kinds of goods from Thailand and China, many fake brands, groceries, alcohol, bags, anything you can think of. It is the same products that are available on the Thai side, usually priced in Baht, as are most things in this town. The prices seemed to me to be about the same on both sides of the river, but bought a new day backpack for what i thought was a cheap price. If you are not looking for something specific and you have already visited the Thai side i suggest you give this a miss. Anyway when you enter Thailand there is a box of goods on display informing you that they are contraband and will be confiscated!! but what to the Thai authorities think all the people are carrying in their bags, as it seems everything for sale at the market is prohibited to take back across the bridge.

I guess once in awhile to visit local market was fun. Every country has serve different ways of living. Selling and buying things, sell whatever can be sell and all.

I was expecting this kind of stuffs when coming to this local market in Tachilek. Most of the market now adays were very clean and hygene. No disgusting creature sells that can be eaten. For local people, eating meat of this strange animal is something normal and basic to them. For me the dead animal looks like a meercat but not particular sure about that. It was not like a dog either look at the body. The smells are very stinky but I hold my breath and smile to the seller while taking the photo. :D

Beside that, plenty of other creatures can be found in here.