I’ve been hearing about Pai from other travelers for a few years already but only got a chance to visit this town last November 2013. There was no plan to go to Pai back then but after spending some time in Chiang Mai with a friend of mine covering the events and celebrations of Yi Peng and Loy Krathong, we have decided to take a breather and relax in a nearby town.
How to Get There
We booked our a mini bus with our hostel and it cost us 200 Baht including the pickup from our hostel. If you’re staying in Old City, it usually cost there just 180 Baht per person. The road to Pai from Chiang Mai is full of bends and curves and it’s said to have around 762 curves. This isn’t a great news for those with motion sickness so if be sure to take some motion sickness med and bring a plastic bag with you in case you throw up along the way.
There’s a quick stop halfway so you could take a toilet break or buy some food and drinks. But I highly recommend not eating too much on this trip especially if you have motion sickness. I just tried to slept the whole time because I also got dizzy.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of options when it comes to accommodation in Pai. We booked our first night accommodation with Agoda so we have a place to crash in as soon as we arrived and just took a walk to look for cheaper accommodation. If it’s low season then you won’t have a hard time looking for accommodation. But it was high season when we arrived so just to make sure that we have a place to stay, we booked a hostel online.
The town proper itself is pretty small but the accommodation listed online is quite spread out to oher rural areas in Pai. My suggestion is for you to stay near the town proper so it won’t take a long time to walk from your hostel to the numerous restaurants located around the walking street.
There are a handful of banks and ATMs in Pai so you won’t have a problem withdrawing money or exchanging your foreign currency. There’s also a money exchange shop at the walking street.
Where to Eat
There are plenty of restaurants serving local and western food. Pai is now a boom town and it’s turning into a full pledge tourist town and there are plenty of restaurants around the Walking Street selling a variety of cuisines. Starting at 6PM local vendors setup their food stalls along the walking stree and you won’t miss them. There’s one selling grilled mushrooms wrapped in bacon for only 10 Baht and you have to try one!
What to Do in Pai
Pai is one of the most relaxing towns I have ever been to. The climate is cool, there are a variety of affordable foods to choose from, the scenery is great and the surrounding is clean. Aside from relaxation, the most popular thing to do in Pai is to explore it by bike or motorbike. You can go to the Memorial Bridge, Pai Canyon, visit an Elephant Sanctuary, go tubing, sign up with a trekking or hiking expedition and visit hill tribes or fly around Pai via a glider.
A little warning, if you’re not an experience motorbike driver then don’t attempt to drive around Pai by motorbike. I’ve seen a handful of people with bandages and bruises because of doing so.
If you’re lazy like me, just hang out at coffee shops, do people watching or read a book and enjoy the cool and laid back atmosphere of Pai. One of the best places to just chill and relax is at the riverside specially at sunset.
Pai is a nice little town that you should definitely check out the next time you visit Northern Thailand.
Thanks for the guide, will be bookmarking this for my trip to thailand in a couple of months!
you’re welcome Nick
Thanks for this. I remember wanting to visit Pai when I was in Chiang Mai, but my funds weren’t enough lol