The human powered version of a tuk tuk is not something you see very often in Bangkok. In the more rural areas of the country they crop up a bit more, but still not to the extent of use common in some of the surrounding countries. But you’ll find every form of transpo used in Thailand in Mae Sai, where I snapped this photo.

Mae Sai is a border town up north that seems to owe its existence to the crossing station into Burma. There’s plenty of touri crap on sale for the adventurous who travel into the golden triangle, and as with the locals, the crossing itself is a draw for visitors. Other than that, there’s not much to do other than people watch. The wait to cross into Burma is a long one, and the line of vehicles comprises every type of vehicle known to mankind, both mechanical and animal.

I suspect many make the trek back and forth across the border frequently, they spend the hours waiting catching up with friends and gossiping; everyone seems to take a stoic approach to the unnecessary procedures demanded by the officials that results in them spending hours waiting their turn. I wonder what they’d think about all the frustration evident when there is more than fifteen people in a line at immigration at the airport?

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