text: [{"text_idx": "#000036", "text": "Nakhon Pathom to Hua Hin"}, {"text_idx": "#000053", "text": "Songkhla to Nakhon Si Thammarat"}, {"text_idx": "#000077", "text": "Koh Yao Yai to Langkawi"}, {"text_idx": "#000088", "text": "Nakhon Si Thammarat to Bangkok"}, {"text_idx": "#000116", "text": "Mae Sot is a border town with around 40,000 permanent residents, and another 100,000 to 200,000 refugees from Myanmar living mostly in camps outside the city itself. Mae Sot is an unusual place for a number of reasons. The most noticeable thing that makes it unusual for a Thai town or city is the strong influence of Burmese culture. A lot of Burmese style food and products are on sale. A second unusual aspect to Mae Sot, is the large number of European and North American people staying for extended periods in the city, along with a local industry of restaurants, bars and guesthouses catering for them. Many of these long stay Western foreigners are working or volunteering in the local refugee camps, and there is a distinct and noticeable (if transient) community of Western foreigners in Mae Sot. Thirdly, Mae Sot has an edgy side that makes it unwise for visitors for be out alone at night in deserted areas. Mae Sot is, amongst other things, a centre for illegal trades such as drug and gem smuggling, as well as human trafficking. Foreign visitors aren\u2019t generally targets of crime but the city attracts some very unsavoury characters."}]