Mae Sai, Thailand

Mae Sai, Thailand is the northernmost district (amphoe) of Chiang Rai Province in northernThailand. The town of Mae Sai is a major border crossing between Thailand and Burma. Asian Highway Network AH2 (Thailand Route 1 or Phahonyothin Road) crosses the Mae Sai River to the town Tachileik in Burma.

Done Xao, Border Market, Laos

Done Xao, Laos; is located within the Golden Triangle, across the Mekong river from Thailand shore. During my trip to Chiang Rai, we took a boat ride across to pay visit to the other side of the land.”No passport needed to cross the border by boat.” Although being in such a close proximity to Chiang Rai, Done Xao is in a much poorer state. This place, which look like a marketplace, target tourist are their main source of income. Goods can be bought cheaply here, 1 cartoon of cigarette are sold for just 100 THB. They also sell beer, clothes and “snake whiskey”.

Haadyai, Thailand

Hat Yai (หาดใหญ่), also Haad Yai or Had Yai) is a city in southern Thailand near the boundary to Malaysia. It has a population of 157,359 (2008) in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest metropolitan area of the country. It is often mistaken as being the capital of the province, but Songkhla is the capital and the center of administration and culture, while Hat Yai is the business center. The two cities are considered as twin cities due to their close connection, and accordingly, Hat Yai and Songkhla form the Greater Hatyai-Songkhla Metropolitan Area. The name "Hat Yai" is a short version of "Mahat Yai", meaning big mahat (มะหาด) tree, a relative of jackfruits in genus Artocarpus