Mae Sot is a trading town on the Thai-Myanmar border in Tak province, western Thailand, known for its markets, gem trade and mix of Thai, Burmese and Karen communities, and a rental car is a useful way to explore both the town itself and the mountainous route connecting it to the rest of Thailand. Mae Sot Airport (MAQ) sits just outside town, a small regional field with a limited number of rental operators, and pickup is generally quick given the modest passenger numbers passing through.
The main route in and out of Mae Sot is Highway 105, which climbs east over a genuinely mountainous pass toward Tak, the provincial capital, a drive of roughly ninety minutes to two hours depending on conditions, with tight curves, steep grades and frequent fog in the cooler months. From Tak, the drive continues toward Sukhothai and Chiang Mai further north, both considerably longer hauls of several hours. Locally around Mae Sot, roads toward the border crossing point and nearby border-area communities are generally paved but can be busier with local traffic and slower-moving vehicles than the open highway.
Driving in Thailand is on the left, an adjustment worth practicing carefully before heading into the mountain pass toward Tak, where blind curves reward cautious, unhurried driving over speed. Monsoon season, roughly June through October, brings heavy rain that can affect visibility and road surfaces on the mountain route, so extra care and slower speeds are sensible during those months. Fuel stations are available in Mae Sot and along the main highway toward Tak, though they are less frequent on quieter local roads near the border, so it is worth keeping the tank reasonably full before any longer trip through this stretch of western Thailand. Local traffic in and around Mae Sot's market streets can be dense at midday, with motorbikes weaving between slower vehicles, so patient, unhurried driving suits the town as much as the mountain pass beyond it.