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Located 100km west of Tak and only 6km from the Burmese border, MAE SOT boasts a rich ethnic mix (Burmese, Karen, Hmong and Thai) and a thriving trade in gems and teak. There's little to see in the small town apart from several glittering Burmese-style temples, but it's a relaxed place to hang out before heading down to Umpang, which has gained a reputation as a base for trekking adventures . You should change money in one of the exchange booths on Mae Sot's Thanon Prasat Vithi (Mon-Fri 8.30am-3.30pm) as there are currently no exchange facilities in Umpang. Frequent songthaews ferry Thai traders and a small trickle of tourists the 6km from Mae Sot to the Burmese border at Rim Moei , where a large market for Burmese goods has grown up beside the banks of the River Moei. It's a bit tacky, but not a bad place to pick up Burmese handicrafts. At the time of writing, access to the Burmese village of Myawaddy on the opposite bank of the River Moei is only open to farangs for a day's shopping (US$10); visitors are allowed no further into Burma. When coming back through Thai customs you can, if necessary, get a new one-month Thai visa on the spot. If you have the time, you should try and organize your trek through the Umpang region with the local guides who live in Umpang itself , but you can also use a Mae Sot tour operator. SP Tour (tel 055/531409) is based at the Mae Sot Travel Centre on the northern outskirts of town at 14/21 Asia Highway (Highway 105). It offers rafting, elephant-riding, jungle-walking and bird-watching in the Umpang and Mae Sot region, with nights in Mon or Karen villages (B4500 for three days). Mae Sot Conservation Tour (tel 055/532818), next to Pim Hut at 415/17 Thanon Tang Kim Chang, concentrates on the Umpang and Tee Lor Su route, features similar activities and costs about the same. If you're staying at Mae Sot Guesthouse, you can arrange your own trek with the manager, Khun Gree, and, in theory, Number 4 Guesthouse also organizes treks (three to seven days, $80-400), but it can be hard to elicit information from the staff there.
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