(Shopping) Mission To Burma

Never mind the Junta!

Just as Singapore has Jahor Bahru (JB) as an over-the-border cheap shopping destination, we have Tachileik (a border town in Myanmar). Unlike JB however, Tachileik is hard to reach involving a major road trip to Mae-Sae, the northern-most city in Thailand.

Colourful border towns such as JB and Tachileik have always interested me, so we were right on board when Chiang Mai-based friends recently offered to drive us there. The journey via Chiang Rai to Mae-Sae is fantastic taking in plenty of scenic spots and sleepy one-horse towns where little has changed in the last 60 years (and the better for it).

At Mae-Sae I was able to get an entry visa (sans passport) from the Thai immigration office (200 baht) and another from their Burmese counterparts for 500 baht. Once paid and stamped up, I sauntered over the Thai-Burma bridge to Tachileik.

I was immediately greeted by six enthusiastic gents peddling an appealing combo of fake viagra and cheap cigarettes. The offers were politely declined and we moved on. Further along, we saw the main attraction for tourists - a huge real life "pirate bay" with loads of stalls selling fake goods at low prices - dirty deeds done dirt cheap indeed.

Being the music and film nut that I am I made a beeline to one of the mega DVD and music shops and was blown away by the selection and prices - US$ 1 for a blue ray disc and 60 cents for a DVD or CD.  I brought the Wire box set (20 discs) for US$ 20. Yes, the discs work, and yes, quality is high. Amazing music box sets were also on sale from the Beatles to the Stones to a host of Jazz greats.

Like the Warehouse in New Zealand, there was something for everyone - branded sunglasses, jeans, watches, track suits, toys, handbags, shirts, software and more - I could have spent hours there shopping and observing.

Although it's not a must-visit destination, if you are in northern Thailand and have a free day I'd recommend a trip to Tachiliek if only to say that you have shopped at one of the most interesting, and probably politically suspect markets in the world.