The bus ride from Mae Sot to Tha Song Yang started at 09:30am and ended two and a half hours later, having taken us through eighty-five kilometers of mostly rural farmlands.
There are two categories of bus we have traveled on so far. The first is what most Americans would think of as a bus. You know…the Greyhound sort of thing.
The other is something like a small-sized pickup truck with an extended bed, in which are mounted two to three benches on the long axis of the bed, and over which is mounted a roof. The sides are open, with some canvas that can be dropped in case of rain. Many, many people can be crammed into the sitting area of this type of bus. Even more people can stand on the bumper and hold onto the rails for dear life as the driver screams along winding roads as fast as the bus can go.
To date, we have witnessed no deaths or injuries.