Mae Sot District - Mae Sot District visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Mae Sot District' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Tak Province.

Mae Sot (or Mae Sod) is a town and district in the Tak Province of western Thailand. The district shares an international border with Myanmar (Burma) and is a gateway town to Burma. As a result, many Burmese people (many refugees) live and trade in Mae Sot, and has a strong trade in gem stones and teak. Sadly, Mae Sot also has a reputation for human trafficking and drugs trade.

Mae Sot is a bustling town, full of street markets and street food stalls. Most visitors are either passing through or renewing visas.

Mae Sot - Tourist Attractions

Mae Sot is not on the general tourist route and does not have many tourist attractions itself. Tourist attractions around Mae Sot include many national parks and tropical jungle:

• Temples - often in Burmese style, the most interesting lie about 5km from the town towards the Burmese border.
• Khun Phra Wo National Park - 220km² of virgin tropical forest with various streams and waterfalls and includes Mae Lamao and Mae Ramat National Reserved Forests.
• Khun Phawo Waterfall - dramatic and popular waterfall found within Khun Phra Wo National Park.
• Lan Sang National Park - 104 Km² of steep, rugged mountains with natural forest, famous as the place where King Taksin the Great rested his army when marching on Chiang Mai.
• Mae Moei National Park - named after the Moei River this park covers 185km², filled with hills and mountains and the sources of the Song River, U-su River, Maesalid Luang River and Moei River.
• Mae U-su Cave - beautiful show cave with an entrance 20m wide and 5m high in one side of an impressive sink hole in Mae Moei National Park with a stream flowing through and an impressive fossil chamber with stalagmites and stalactites.
• Taksin Maharat National Park - 149km² of mist covered forest and jungle on the slopes of the Thanon Thongchai Mountain. The park also contains the Ton Krabak Yai tree, the tallest tallest Krabak tree in Thailand measuring over 50m high with a 16m girth.
• Shrine of King Taksin the Great - located in Amphoe Muang it is a 9-sided building with a helmet like roof and found near the Tak TAT office.
• Namtok Thi Lo Su - waterfall found within the Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is the largest waterfall in Thailand, descending over 200 meters down a series cascades surrounded by natural forest.

Road: Mae Sot is nearly 500km north of Bangkok.
Bus: Buses from Bangkok to Mae Sot take around 8 hours.