Pai

[Piece Corp]

Pai (Population about 3,000) is a small town about 80 km north of Chiang Mai, as the crow flies, and about 140 km when you ride the snake, on the road to Mae Hon Son. The journey takes about 3 hours by minibus because of the 762 curves in the road.  Bring your air sickness bag, as the Chinese woman sitting next to me was throwing-up all the way.  We passed a spot where a motorbike rider had just gotten nailed by an SUV, and our driver stopped to lend assistance until the ambulance arrived.  It's not the road to Hana, but still quite scenic.

 

 

 

There aren't many attractions in Pai, just a few waterfalls and hot springs outside town.  So why go there?  It's all about the vibe:  serene, tranquil, relaxed.

 

 

I rented a bamboo hut along the river for 400 baht.  Temps were hot during the day but dropped to 18 degrees at night.

 

 

The main street in town is Walking Street.  There are no GoGos or freelancers but you may be able to score a teenybopper.

 

[gentleenforcer]

Great photos there mate ! I went there about 4 or 5 years ago and stayed for 2 nights, it was a good break. The bus from Chiangmai was horrendous however as I was stuck in the middle seat between 2 fat guys and I got motion sickness from so many curves in the road. Nice scenery up there and a very different feel to it from the rest of Thailand.

[One hung low]

I will be spending time there next year, I like the laid back feeling of northern Thailand. A welcome break from pattaya

[leon8189]

Nice pictures! Good to know what else is out there.

[Disander]

Looks to be a great retreat. Awesome pictures!

 

Any good mention of cuisine to be found?

[jimboh]

looks like they have an airport now, with flights from CM

[Encora]

I was there In October of last year, and there was one street that looked like the bars may well have a few ladies available. But I didn't try, had my own with me....

 

I actually would be quite happy if its rapid development wouldn't include readily available P4P

It is a cute little town, we don't need sleazy Pattaya style bars in a place like that, let it keep its innocence....

[Red&Blue]

I was there last month, as part of the Mai Hong Son loop. Glad I rented a car and drove myself, as it would have been hell in one of those minivans.

 

Highly recommend doing the loop to anyone, as the roads are reasonably sparse and in pretty good condition. Apart for the section before entering Pai as there was lots of roadworks.

 

Rented a 1.2 litre Toyota Yaris (Cheap Charlie), which was interesting going up the steep climbs. Had to rev it's tits off going up the hills.

Don't be tight like me, spend a bit more to get something with a bit more power if you're going.

 

Pai itself was charming, and laid back with a nightly Walking Street to keep you occupied. Only spent 1 night there, although I wished we spent 2 nights there.

 

If you suffer car sickness (like my TGF) then buy some pills before you go. Learnt that the hard way.

[themehta]

very interesting pics .

 

I will add this location during my next trip !

[Piece Corp]

looks like they have an airport now, with flights from CM

 

Kan Air services Chiang Mai to Pia, flight takes 20 minutes for about 2200 baht each way.

[tps]

If pushing on further towards Mae Hong Son, theres a very, very small town there called Bang Mapha (I think)....really tiny, nothing much to do other than hiking, visiting some hill tribe villages and taking in some incredible scenery nearby (I heard there are caves to explore as well). Oh, and fending off stray dogs.

 

Anyway, there is a very pleasant inn called Soppong River Inn. Great food, nice accomodations....worth a stop if you are looking just to rest up a bit. But again, nothing really to do there otherwise.

[tweedle-dee]

If the movie house is still running....i claim fame to fucking the female owner 12 years ago...i hear its become too toffee nosed and poncy with yuppe hippie wanna be's

[The Sly Fox]

If the movie house is still running....i claim fame to fucking the female owner 12 years ago...i hear its become too toffee nosed and poncy with yuppe hippie wanna be's

You sure about that mate? I heard Pai Movie House was a gay establishment.

[Laplace1824]

Love the pictures. I'm debating whether or not to bring my camera or just use my phone. I want to bring my camera, but it can sometimes be a hassle to carry it around and worry about it haha. Pai seem like a very calm and relaxed area. I'm looking forward to stopping by there if I can.

[jimboh]

Any advise on doing Mai Hong Son loop, what route to take?

[mungonuts]

JImboh, Check out Ride Asia for the best routes..And its Ride as in motorbike...i know...Booo 

[Red&Blue]

Any advise on doing Mai Hong Son loop, what route to take?

 

 

I used the attached PDF as a guide and did the loop anti-clockwise.

 

Did the loop over 5 days & 4 nights, with a side trip and overnight stay in Mae Chaem which I found convenient to get to Doi Inthanon the next day.

worldclass_mae_eng.pdf

[spacemonkey]

Thanks for the great pics. 

 

A Patts girl I met is always banging on about how she'd move there forever if she could (visits there at least once a year), so I had to go take a look, but ended up too sick to travel after getting to Don Mueang to catch our flight. Will have to wait until August now, but really looking forward to spending a week up there.

[One hung low]

The Mae hong son loop is a one way loop.

So it's one way or the other.

Pai has great food options, and a Walking Street in the centre of town every night.

Laid back and relaxing.

[HappyHour1973]

How big is the 'town' part in terms of the 'centre' and near the river? Walking distance?

[The Sly Fox]

Never been to Pai but this thread has certainly interested me. So I think I'll take a drive up there in a few months and take a nosey around. I've been all through South, NE, Central, but North Thailand very little.

[One hung low]

Northern Thailand is REAL Thailand, very friendly people. Love it!

[jimboh]

PFP any info?

Got to be something there

[docbunsen]

looks great place to chill out, i want to travel a bit on my next trip this looks ideal for few days . thanks for sharing 

[The Sly Fox]

I used the attached PDF as a guide and did the loop anti-clockwise.

 

Did the loop over 5 days & 4 nights, with a side trip and overnight stay in Mae Chaem which I found convenient to get to Doi Inthanon the next day.

Many thanks for that attachment. I just d/l it now. Very useful as I'll do a driving trip around that region sometime in the future.