January 8th was the Karen New Year. It was also four days after my tourist visa expired. I’m not very good at details or paper work.
In order to renew my visa I had to head to the border town of Mae Sai, cross the Thai/Burmese border into Tachilek, and then cross back. I also had to remember my passport, which I almost didn’t do (see above). But after a thoughtful reminder from a few folks who’ve been ex-pats for a bit longer than I have I, and my passport, were heading to the border.
The drive up was easy; a stretch of open road that crossed through the northern hills . Wats dotted the landscape. They began to shimmer as the warmth of morning turned into the heat of early afternoon. I followed the directions given to me: “just follow the road till it ends.” They were spot on.
As I came into Mae Sai I was not moved. Buses clogged the main street, which was lined with golden posts and over the top banners. The crossing is a well worn way to renew ones visa, and it shows that the place is often visited by many tourists who are not looking to stick around.
I parked the Jungle Chicken outside of a stand selling low quality gems and jade. The heat was visible as it rose off the concrete and metal. I watched a couple of dogs for a moment as they moved from shadow to shadow, looking for relief. Then I marched towards the “Friendship Bridge.”
“What’s there to do in Tachilek?” I asked my friends before driving up.
“Buy DVDs. Outside of that I’d recommend getting your passport stamped, crossing the bridge, and then crossing right back.”
I was convinced that I’d find more in the Burmese border town. But had brought some extra money just in case any DVDs struck my fancy.
As I approached the border check I was a little anxious. I knew I was a few days over on my visa and wasn’t sure what they were going to say. I stepped up to the counter and handed over my passport.
The uniformed woman behind the glass, unfazed, didn’t even look up.
“Late. 2,000 baht.”
I was about to counter with a 1,000 baht offer. The fact that I was half a second away from haggling with a border control officer still strikes my friends back in Chiang Mai as very funny. I noticed a sign that read “Late: 500 baht per day” just in time to shut my mouth, smile, and hand over my DVD money.
The woman stamped my passport like she was hitting a child and handed it back to me. I made my way down the barbed wire walkway and out onto the bridge. I was in “no man’s land.” The place where you are actually in the border, not on either side of it.
The bridge was covered by people selling fruit and dried fish, as well as Burmese children begging for baht from the wealthy tourists. I, always the sucker, handed a 10 piece to a ragamuffin looking youth who immediately rolled his eyes at me and went after the better dressed German family behind me.
I took a few photos of the small river, noticing that there were a few folks crossing that probably hadn’t bothered to register with the border police, and then made my way towards Burma.
Thailand drives on the left side of the road (see last post), but Burma drives on the right side. This means that the flow of comers and goers have to zig-zag half way across the bridge between Mai Sai and Tachilek. I had forgotten this fact (details) and managed to upset a couple of Burmese soldiers as I walked into oncoming foot traffic. They quickly hustled me across the street and into what could have been a poor grandmother’s living room.
The wood paneling and drab carpet where not improved by the three soldiers in brown who sat behind dusty computers. Apathy does nothing to describe their faces. I figured that given the decor, and amount of annoying people such as myself, it made for a pretty bad job.
I handed my passport to one of the soldiers who asked me to sit after relieving me of 500 more baht. I knew about this charge and, though mildly infuriated at the idea of giving money to the Burmese government, knew it was a necessary evil. The soldier took a photo of my disheveled face, printed out a temporary passport (they keep yours at the border in case you decide to start some craziness) and I was walking into Burma.
To be continued…