Hello everyone
If you’ve been following my journey, you might have read 🚗✨ Singing Along the Highways of Thailand 🎶🌄, where I shared the excitement of driving from Phuket to my sister’s home in Phop Phra, Tak Province, a trip filled with music, scenic views, and plenty of memories. Today, the adventure continues!
After taking some time to rest and enjoy the calm of Phop Phra, I joined my sister for one of her weekly market trips to Mae Sot, a bustling border town. Mae Sot Market is a vibrant hub of culture, trade, and life, where local farmers bring their freshest produce straight from the highlands. As an essential part of her business, every Tuesday and Friday, she makes these trips to buy vegetables, fruits, and other goods, which are later sold across the border in Myanmar. I couldn’t wait to see it for myself! 🛍️✨
We left the house at around 7:00 a.m. to make sure we got to the market early and secured the freshest produce. The market is famous for its highland-grown vegetables, brought down by hill tribe farmers. If you arrive late, many of the best items might already be sold out! Buying in bulk often means better deals, so it’s always a busy and lively experience. 🥦🍅✨
This outing gave me a chance to not only help my sister but also immerse myself in the vibrant atmosphere of Mae Sot Market, a place bustling with life and rich with cultural diversity. 🌍💼
My sister and I arrived at Mae Sot Market at around 7:40 a.m. As soon as we got there, we headed straight to the fresh vegetable market, which is one of the busiest sections. The market was already bustling with activity—vendors setting up their stalls and customers moving quickly to grab the freshest produce.
This is a large wholesale and retail market, where many locals from nearby areas come to purchase vegetables in bulk to sell at their own smaller markets. The variety of vegetables here is impressive, with vibrant greens, colorful root vegetables, and fragrant herbs all neatly arranged in rows. The energy of the market is infectious, with the sound of bargaining, laughter, and the clatter of baskets filling the air. 🥦🥕✨
It’s fascinating to see how markets like these bring together people from all walks of life—farmers, shop owners, and even families out shopping for their weekly groceries. The sense of community here is truly heartwarming. 💚
My sister and I worked together to buy a variety of vegetables based on the orders from customers, many of whom were from Myanmar. The list was long, and we had to visit several shops to complete all the orders. It was a busy morning, but the market’s organized layout and the vendors’ efficiency made the process smoother than expected. 🥬✨
After placing orders at various stalls, we headed back to the car to wait. One of the conveniences of shopping at Mae Sot Market is that many vendors offer delivery service directly to your vehicle, saving us from carrying heavy bags ourselves. It gave us a chance to rest and chat while waiting for the fresh produce to be loaded into the car. 🚗💚
After completing the orders for vegetables and fruits, we still needed to buy meat and other items. For some types of meat, my sister prefers to shop at Makro, a wholesale supermarket that offers a wide variety of meats, though at slightly higher prices than the fresh market. Makro is also where we picked up household goods and other supplies that her customers requested.
We parked the pickup truck at Makro and carefully went through the order list, selecting items one by one to ensure nothing was missed. Once everything was purchased, my sister skillfully organized the goods in the truck. Watching her work was impressive—she knew exactly how to pack the truck efficiently to maximize space while ensuring the items were secure for the drive back. 🚚✨
With all the shopping complete, we made a quick stop for lunch before heading back to pack the products for delivery. The restaurant we chose is one of our favorites—every time we’re in the area, we make it a point to stop here for a meal. The food is consistently delicious, making it the perfect way to recharge before continuing the day. 🍴✨
After enjoying a satisfying lunch, we wasted no time and headed straight back home. The next task was organizing and preparing the goods for transport, which would take some time and effort. Despite the busy day, there was a sense of accomplishment knowing everything was coming together smoothly. 🛻🥦
Once we arrived back home, the next task was to sort through the vegetables, fruits, and other goods. Each order had to be carefully separated, as there were multiple customers with specific requests. This part of the process requires a lot of attention to detail to ensure everything is accurate.
After sorting, we packed the items into the pickup truck once again, organizing them neatly for delivery across the border to Myanmar. Watching my sister work with such efficiency and dedication was truly inspiring. 🚚✨
The day might have been long, but seeing everything come together and knowing that her customers would be satisfied made all the hard work worthwhile. 💼🌍
My sister’s village is located right along the Thai-Myanmar border, with the Moei River serving as the natural boundary between the two countries. In the village, there’s a small port where vehicles can be ferried across to Myanmar, but it’s only open twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is due to strict border controls, as the Myanmar side has become home to a large Chinese community, with numerous companies operating there, some of which are reportedly illegal businesses. Because of this, border crossings are closely monitored, and security is tight.
When we reached the crossing point, military officers inspected the goods in our truck to ensure there were no prohibited items. The checks were thorough, but as long as there were no illegal items, crossing the border was straightforward. Once the inspection was complete, we got back into the truck and prepared to board the ferry to Myanmar. 🚚✨
The ferry was a large metal raft powered by an engine, and my sister skillfully drove the truck onto it. Once the ferry operator took their place, we began the short journey across the Moei River. On the other side, my sister drove into Myanmar while I looked around, noticing how much things had changed since my last visit, about a year ago.
What was once a quiet Burmese village with simple, peaceful living has now transformed dramatically. Tall buildings have sprung up everywhere, with constant construction in progress. The streets and houses are covered in dust, and nearly every home has turned into a shop. It felt like a different place entirely, bustling with activity yet losing the charm of its former simplicity. 🌏🏗️
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take photos of the towering buildings due to strict restrictions in the Chinese-controlled areas. The changes were overwhelming, leaving me with mixed feelings about how rapidly development has altered the character of this once-tranquil village. 😔
Once we had delivered all the goods to the customers, it was time to head back to Thailand. The process was smooth, but on the way back, Thai soldiers inspected the truck again to ensure there were no illegal items. After confirming everything was in order, they waved us through, and we continued our journey home. 🚚✨
Crossing back over the border gave me a sense of relief and reflection. The day had been long and filled with hard work, but it also reminded me of the incredible effort that goes into maintaining businesses and building connections across borders. While the changes on the Myanmar side were striking, it was comforting to return to the familiarity of home in Thailand.
Until next time—stay curious, and I’ll see you on the next adventure!
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| 📷 Photo Credit | Smartphone |
|---|---|
| Model | Vivo X60 5G |
| Type | Android |
| Photographer | @baiboua |
| Location | Mae Sot, Tak province, Thailand 🇹🇭 |
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