Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge

Thailand’s first bridge into Myanmar opened here in August 1997, carrying Highway 105 across the Moei River to Myawaddy in Kayin State. It’s 420 metres of concrete arch, wide enough for vehicles and pedestrians, and it’s still the crossing most people mean when they say “the Mae Sot bridge” — a second, freight-focused bridge opened a few kilometres south at Ban Wang Takhian.

Watch out: This is an active conflict-zone crossing, not a static tourist sight. Fighting around Myawaddy shut the checkpoint for roughly 10 months before Thai and Myanmar authorities reopened it on a trial basis on 28 May 2026. When it’s running, hours are roughly 6 AM to 6 PM Thai time, but expect heavy security checks, unpredictable queues, and the possibility of a same-day closure if the situation on the Myanmar side deteriorates. Confirm current status locally — with the Mae Sot immigration office or your guesthouse — before planning around it.

On a normal open day, the bridge itself is the show: motorcycles, pickup trucks loaded with produce, and porters carrying goods on foot move in both directions, funnelling into Rim Moei Market on the Thai bank, where Burmese textiles, jade, and cross-border food stalls line the approach. You don’t need a passport to walk the Thai-side section and look out over the river — only to actually clear immigration and cross. Anyone doing a full crossing needs a passport, a valid Myanmar visa or entry permit, and — under rules in place since early 2026 — a local guarantor for first-time crossers, typically arranged through a Mae Sot travel agent or guesthouse for 500-1,500 THB.

Insider Tip: Go early. Both temperatures and crowds climb fast once the sun is up, and the Thai-side approach has almost no shade. Morning is also when the market stalls are best stocked before the day’s trade wears them down.

There isn’t much to plan around beyond checking the crossing is open — this is a 20-30 minute stop on the way to or from Mae Sot town, not a half-day excursion. Bring your passport even if you only intend to view the bridge, since checkpoints along Highway 105 sometimes ask for ID.