bus station. Easy and cheap. I think I took GreenBus to Chiang Rai then transferred to a more local bus to get to Mae Sai then a songtaew to the border.
be warned though - the last bus leaving Mae Sai back to CM leaves pretty early (I forget exact time. But I think it's well before 9pm) so just make sure you know the time and play it safe. ...Unlike me who missed the last bus by 30 minutes and had to stay in Mae Sai which was a boring waste of time and money.
can you point to those instances this week? I recall the fiasco last month with the detentions and deportations and I am very curious if it is still happening.
it is absolutely not "blow money". I am leaving the country in 7 days and will be staying with a local friend and eating local food. Chances are high that I won't spend more than $100 during this quick stop-over.
That is also part of the reason i'd rather not do this. Currently in Vietnam so the ATM will convert my USD to VND then I will need to convert that into THB (because VND is worthless in Thailand) the exchange rates are not in my favor. I sure wish a bank card swipe would suffice for this proof if needed.
