Want to make a trip this week to Burma Border for furniture

Post by **SunandFun** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 10:33 pm

Hi members,
I am in Hua Hin this week and was thinking of making a trip to Burma Border to check on the available furniture from there. Could anyone advise on distance and directions? Should I make the trip alone or is any one interested in going? Or, do you recommend against going? Plan to rent a car from sponsor and drive there. Will also be searching around Hua Hin and Cha-am to see what is available. I do not need to buy until year end, but doing homework now so can budget properly. Can call me at 080 220 8519
Sun and Fun (David)

Post by **Siani** » Sun Jan 15, 2012 11:36 pm

SunandFun wrote:Hi members,
I am in Hua Hin this week and was thinking of making a trip to Burma Border to check on the available furniture from there. Could anyone advise on distance and directions? Should I make the trip alone or is any one interested in going? Or, do you recommend against going? Plan to rent a car from sponsor and drive there. Will also be searching around Hua Hin and Cha-am to see what is available. I do not need to buy until year end, but doing homework now so can budget properly. Can call me at 080 220 8519
Sun and Fun (David)

What are you wanting the furniture for? Personal use, re-sale etc? How are you going to get it back from there? If it is teak you ar looking for there is a lot in Thailand

Post by **Frank Hovis** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:48 am

Do you mean the border at Dan Singkhon?

You cannot (unless you are Thai or Burmese) cross the border there anymore, but there are 'shops' on the Thai side. The Burmese side is just a road up to a military compound and beyond that is a small Burmese village. I suspect the furniture is almost all standard Thai made stuff and the shops are generally full of touristy nick-nacks you could buy anywhere (probably for less).

It's a nice day out though, head south from Hua Hin, pass Prachuap KK and it's a right turn after Ao Manao / Khlong Wan. It's quite well signposted I think. If you pass a turning on your left for Wako Aquarium you've gone too far and need to u-turn. If you run out of stuff to do at Singkhon, the aquarium is worth a visit - it's only 20B or something to get in.

ETA: Take your passport - There may be an army checkpoint but I don't think there was one last time I went (few years ago).

Post by **caller** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 12:59 am

I'm no expert, but I believe there are warehouses selling furniture from Burma as well as whats available at the market itself - I believe there are a few folk on here who have bought from there?

Post by **hhfarang** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 10:17 am

We went to a Burmese town that specializes in furniture some years back, but it is a couple of hours north of Kanchanaburi at Three Pagoda Pass. All we had to do was take our passports to the border crossing immigration office there and they give you a day pass (for a small fee) that allows you to cross the border into a small Burmese town that sells a lot of wooden furniture as well as other things. It is a small one street town and there is another roadblock at the other end so that the pass only allows you to go into this particular town to shop.

As you drive across the border the road does a weird X forcing you (with curbing) to the opposite side as in Burma they drive on the right side of the road. It was a fun day as the Burmese people were friendly and a group of cute kids followed us everywhere we went.

Post by **SunandFun** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:06 pm

Thanks , everyone!
hhfarng it sounds like that is the place to visit. Directions easy? How many hours drive from HH?
caller, Do you know the location and or names of any Burma Warehouses close by?
I am only shopping now and will buy in December. Want to plan for budget, etc. I love Teak wood.
Plan to visit furniture shops in HH also. Any suggestions welcome.
Main needs are 2 bedrooms, wardrobes, etc.
one dinning area
Living room and tables, lamps etc.
Paintings, Thai OK
Last request is references on a carpenter who could build-in beds and wardrobes. (Wooden and good quality) Then just buy a couple mattresses, dining room and living room furniture.
Will ask about Termites latter.
Thanks everyone! Anyone out for a beer in the evening? Where to meet some of you?
My local number for this trip is 087 187 0232 (I posted the number for the car rental as mine last night) sorry! oops!

Post by **dtaai-maai** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:52 pm

SunandFun wrote: I love Teak wood.
Plan to visit furniture shops in HH also. Any suggestions welcome.

Paintings, Thai OK

There are plenty of furniture shops in HH, but you really should go and have a look at Siam Teak, up at the very far end of soi 88 past Naab Thong restaurant. Quality furniture in both Thai and European style.

For paintings I would recommend you stop in at the Art Studio on the Pala U road on the right a couple of kms out of town - I can't remember the name, but you can't miss it.

Post by **caller** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:44 am

SunandFun wrote:caller, Do you know the location and or names of any Burma Warehouses close by?

No idea, I'm afraid. We had another thread about this and some local business ex-pats answered about the warehouses.

A guest-house I frequented for a while in Bangsaphan kitted their place out from Dan Singhkon and it was very good. I think their stuff is well known and its only an hour or so away and easy to get to and as has been said, combine it with a trip to Prauchap Town and you have a great day out!

Good luck with your hunt!

Post by **PeteC** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:05 am

Here's an older thread with some information viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16969 Contained within that thread is reference to yet another thread. Pete

Post by **hhfarang** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:34 am

hhfarng it sounds like that is the place to visit. Directions easy? How many hours drive from HH?

You just take highway 4 to Ban Pong just north of Ratchaburi where you take local highway 323 to Kanchanaburi and continue on the same highway north from there until you get to Burma. We didn't go directly as it was just one part of a multi-day holiday in the region, but I'm guessing it would be about a 4 hour drive with the last hour up a narrow winding mountain road. Our visit was several years ago so don't go without doing some more research as things could have changed over time; however, it would fun no matter what if you turned it into a holiday. Kanchanaburi has the famous world war II site of the bridge over the river Kwai and plenty of historical war museums and memorials. On the way up to three pagoda pass (historical site in itself in past Thai-Burmese wars) you pass Hell Fire Pass (another historic WWII site) and some beautiful waterfalls, one large very scenic one in a park just off the highway as well as a public hot springs that has pools of water from warm to hot (take your bathing suits). There is also a big reservoir up there and several caves along the way though we didn't explore any of those.

Post by **Farang** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 9:44 am

SunandFun wrote:Thanks , everyone! ,,,,,,,
Last request is references on a carpenter who could build-in beds and wardrobes. (Wooden and good quality) Then just buy a couple mattresses, dining room and living room furniture.
Will ask about Termites latter.
Thanks everyone! Anyone out for a beer in the evening? Where to meet some of you?
My local number for this trip is 087 187 0232 (I posted the number for the car rental as mine last night) sorry! oops!

Looky yonder: My friends and i have used Noppadon and his crew frequently past 10 years. Always with good prices, quality and schedules.

http://s1112.photobucket.com/albums/k490/noppadonHH/