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Voykit pocket guide · Thailand
Mae Sariang
Spend 1–2 days in Mae Sariang; a night covers the museum, hill‑tribe villages and hot springs, then head on to Mae Hong Son or Pai.
Mae Sariang is a small northern town near the Myanmar border. Its attractions are clustered around the centre, so a single overnight stay is enough to see the museum, visit nearby hill‑tribe villages, soak hot springs and enjoy riverside food.
- Country
- Thailand
- Best months
- Nov–Feb
- Avoid
- May–Oct (wet season)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- THB
- Money
- Currency is the Thai baht (THB, ฿). Cards work in malls, hotels and many restaurants; street food, markets, boats and small taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget THB 800–1,200 excl. bed · Mid THB 1,200–2,000 excl. bed · High THB 2,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AIS and TrueMove H sell tourist SIMs at airport arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 191 · Ambulance 1669 · Tourist Police 1155
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C, O · 220 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US pins and round European pins; type O is the Thai three-pin standard. UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Leave ฿20–100 or the coins; skip it if a 10% service charge is on the bill.; Taxi / Grab: Round up to the next ฿10 or ฿20.; Massage: ฿50–100 per hour to the therapist, in hand.; Guide / driver day: ฿300–500 for the guide, ฿200–300 for the driver.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ฿20–50.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Street refill machines charge about ฿1 a litre; bottled water everywhere.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in malls and hotels; squat toilets with a water bucket in rural stops. The hose ('bum gun') replaces paper; paper goes in the bin in older buildings. Some public toilets cost ฿3–5.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bike rental | THB 50 /day |
| Motorbike rental | THB 200 /day |
| Mini‑van from Chiang Mai | THB 200 (one way) |
| Hot springs entry | THB 30–50 |
| Meal at Inthira (large restaurant) | THB 80–150 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HGN · Mae Hong Son Airport
- about 45 km (28 mi) north, 1 h by roadabout 28 mi (45 km) north, 1 h by road
Typical fares
- Chiang Mai → Mae Sariang mini‑van
- THB 200, about 3.5 h (check)
- Bike rental in town
- THB 50 per day
- Motorbike rental
- THB 200 per day
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Town is walkable; rent a bicycle for THB 50 /day or a motorbike for THB 200 /day from guesthouses. Hire a car‑driver for trips beyond the town.
See and do
Known for
- Mae Sariang Museum
- Hill‑tribe villages
- Hot springs east of town
- Mae Sam Laeb border village
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hill‑tribe villages | Hire a local guide; 15–30 min drive from town | ≈1 h total |
| Hot Springs (east of town) | Drive 18 km (11 mi) east on Hwy 108, then follow signs; private track to siteDrive 11 mi (18 km) east on Hwy 108, then follow signs; private track to site | ≈45 min each way |
| Mae Sam Laeb border village | Songthaew or motorbike 1 h north; boat 600 baht for Salween trip | ≈2 h total |
Sleep
- Northwest Guesthouse
- Fan rooms THB 250, air‑con rooms THB 400; river view; basic but clean.
- Riverhouse Hotel
- Rooms THB 900–2,800; river balconies, air‑con, free Wi‑Fi.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | ขอโทษkŏr‑tôht |
| Thank you | ขอบคุณkòp‑kun |
| How much is this? | อันนี้ราคาเท่าไหร่ăn‑níi raa‑kaa tâo‑rai |
| Can I have the bill? | เช็คบิลได้ไหมchék‑bín dâi mái |
| Where is the bus station? | สถานีรถบัสอยู่ที่ไหนsà‑tă‑nii rót‑bát yùu têe‑năi |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A wai (palms together, slight bow) to return a greeting; a smile and nod for shop staff; avoid: Waiing children or service staff first — it confuses; hugging strangers
- Head and feet: Keep feet on the floor, sit with legs folded to the side in temples; avoid: Touching heads (even children's), pointing feet, stepping over people or food
- Temples: Covered shoulders and knees, shoes off, sit lower than monks; avoid: Women touching monks or handing them things directly; climbing Buddha images
- Monarchy: Stand for the royal anthem in cinemas and at 08:00 and 18:00 in public places; avoid: Any joke or comment about the royal family; stepping on a banknote
- Keeping calm: Stay polite and smiling when things go wrong ('jai yen' — cool heart); avoid: Raising your voice; public anger loses the argument
- Names: Khun plus first name ('Khun Somchai'); nicknames are normal; avoid: Using the family name alone
- Home visit: Shoes off; bring fruit or sweets; step over the threshold, not on it; avoid: Sitting with feet towards the family shrine
- Beckoning and pointing: Palm down, fingers waved towards you; point with the whole hand or chin; avoid: Pointing at people with a finger or with your foot
Scams and watch-outs
- Mini‑van tickets from Chiang Mai require Thai‑language phone booking; 7‑Eleven collection adds THB 15 fee.
- Roads can be bumpy after heavy rains; fill the tank before the Mae Sot leg.
Generally safe; petty theft is rare, but keep an eye on belongings in markets and on night buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mae Sariang yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mae Sariang Museum
- Hill‑tribe villages
- Hot springs east of town
- Mae Sam Laeb border village
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Mae Sariang, revision 5325144 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325144
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/mae-sariang). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.