Tachileik
| Tachileik တာချီလိတ်မြို့ |
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 Tachileik
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| Coordinates: 20°27′N 99°53′E / 20.45°N 99.883°E | |
| Country |  Burma |
| Division | Shan State |
| Admin. district | Tachileik District |
| Admin. township | Tachileik Township |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Ethnicities | Shan |
| • Religions | Buddhism |
| Time zone | MST (UTC+6.30) |
Tachileik (Burmese: တာချီလိတ်မြို့ [tà tɕʰì leɪʔ mjo̰]; also spelt Tachilek), is a border town in the Shan State of eastern Burma (Myanmar). It is the administrative seat of Tachileik Township and Tachileik District.
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[edit] History
Tachileik was a border crossing used in the opium trade from the Golden Triangle,[1] and was the home of the drug lord Khun Sa.[1]
On March 24, 2011 a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the region very close to Tachileik. It caused some damage as far away as Chiang Rai.
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Tachileik | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28 (82) |
31 (88) |
33 (91) |
35 (95) |
33 (91) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
30 (86) |
28 (82) |
26 (79) |
30.8 (87.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 12 (54) |
13 (55) |
16 (61) |
20 (68) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
22 (72) |
20 (68) |
17 (63) |
13 (55) |
18.7 (65.6) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 15 (0.59) |
8 (0.31) |
20 (0.79) |
73 (2.87) |
186 (7.32) |
204 (8.03) |
276 (10.87) |
342 (13.46) |
224 (8.82) |
128 (5.04) |
59 (2.32) |
22 (0.87) |
1,557 (61.3) |
| Avg. rainy days | 5 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 155 |
| Sunshine hours | 248 | 252 | 248 | 240 | 217 | 150 | 124 | 155 | 180 | 186 | 210 | 217 | 2,427 |
| Source: World Climate Guide | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport
Tachileik has an airport which links to three Burmese cities - Yangon, Mandalay, and Kengtung.[2] By road Tachileik is connected to Kengtung, which lies 106 km (66 miles] to the north, by the Asian Highway route AH2, and via Kengtung west to Taunggyi, capital of Shan State, and east by route AH3 to Mongla and on to Yunnan Province, China.[3][4]
[edit] Border crossing
Tachileik can be accessed from the Thai town of Mae Sai, which sits directly south on the other side of the small Mae Sai River.[1] There are two bridges that provide access between Mae Sai and Tachilek, one is actively used for border crossings and the other newer one was not yet being utilized as of January 2007. It may be possible for tourists to take a bicycle across the bridge, but logistically it would be difficult. It is a porous border and is actually not difficult to wade across the river. Burmese merchants used to be able to cross over and do business in Mae Sai for days at a time. The border is also a popular destination for westerners (referred to locally as farang) who either reside in or are visiting Thailand and who need to get their passport visas renewed.
There is no charge for a 'visa run' going from Thailand to Burma on the Thai side, but there is a charge of US$10 or 500 Thai Baht on the Burmese side.[5]
[edit] Tourism
The crowning tourist attraction is a large gold-colored stupa, Wat Phra That Doi,[1] which, among other things, showcases the seven days of the week. The idea is for a pilgrim to go to the spot which has the day he/she was born known as the planetary post, and do a simple spiritual ritual.
[edit] Economy
Tachileik has retained the habit of allowing vendors to openly sell endangered animal parts. It has been suggested by some that this trade is fueled by the many Chinese who frequent the area.[citation needed]
Tachileik has a reputation as being a rough town, since it is a major distribution point for heroin and ya ba (speed pills) moving from Myanmar to the world market. The reports say the drugs are manufactured and distributed by a number of armed cease-fire groups in Shan State, in particular the United Wa State Army. In reality, Tachilek is not dangerous, and even solo forays out at night are safe. (UWSA).[4]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d Chien, Choo Tse (2004) "Border Areas & Into Burma Photo Gallery" at pbase.com, archived here on 9 February 2005 by Internet Archive
- ^ "Time Taken and Distances (Car / Flight / Boat)". myanmartravels.net. http://www.myanmartravels.net/timetaken-distances.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
- ^ "Asian Highway in Myanmar". unescap.org. http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/Publications/TIS_pubs/pub_2303/MyanmarB5.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
- ^ a b Lawi Weng. "‘Yaa-Baa’ Bust in Tachilek". The Irrawaddy, March 11, 2009. http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=15281. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
- ^ "Burma, part 2: Checkpoints". the Daily Muse. http://dominicktao.blogspot.com/2009/02/burma-part-2-checkpoints.html. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
[edit] External links
- Satellite map Maplandia
Coordinates: 20°27′N 99°53′E / 20.45°N 99.883°E
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