Tachilek

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Tachilek - also spelled Tatchilek or Tachileik, is a border town, located in Shan State, Myanmar.

It can be accessed from the Thai town of Mae Sai which sits directly south on the other side of the small Mae Sai river. There are two bridges that provide access between Mae Sai and Tachilek, one is actively being used for border crossings and the other newer one is not yet being utilized as of summer 2006. It may be possible for tourists to take a bicycle across the bridge but logistically, it would be difficult. Its a porous border and it is actually not difficult to wade across the river if one is daring enough. Burmese merchants used to be able to cross over and do their business in Mae Sai for days at a time. Currently (2006) there is a rule that says all Burmese border hoppers must return to the Burmese side before sundown. The border is also a popular destination for western foreigners (referred to locally as farang) who either reside in or are visiting Thailand and who need to get their passport visas renewed.

There is no charge for a 'visa run' going from Thailand to Burma on the Thai side, but there is a charge of $10 on the Burmese side.

Tachilek has few roads leading in or out. There is one which winds north to the Shan State Burmese town of Cheng Tung and on further north to the Chinese border. There are plans to build a major highway along that route. It has an airport which links to about three other Burmese cities - Yangon, Mandalay and Cheng Tung.

Tachilek has retained the habit of allowing vendors to openly sell endangered animal parts. It has been suggested by some that this trade is fuelled by the many Chinese who frequent the area.

The crowning tourist attraction is a large gold-colored stupa which, among other things, showcases the seven days of the week. The idea is for a pilgrim to go to the spot which has the day he/she was born - and then do a simple spiritual rutual.

Tachilek has a reputation as being a rough town since it is a major distribution point for heroin and ya ba (speed pills) moving from Myanmar to the world market. The people living across the border in the Thai town of Mae Sai have constructed a "black steel scorpion the size of a tank to ward away their neighbors' evil spirits." ^[1]