Hello everyone. We spent a weekend in Pai a town we discovered during our journey through northern Thailand. It is a small town located in a mountainous area. Since the 1960s, it has been a popular spot for those embracing alternative lifestyles, having been introduced to the hippie culture. Known for its organic food, meditation centers and relaxing atmosphere, Pai offers a peaceful escape for visitors like us. It's also a popular destination for nature sports, trekking and biking.
Our accommodation here was much more to my liking. We stayed on the first floor, right next to the pool. Our room had a small terrace with swings, a spacious room, a big bed, a relaxation area and a TV (though we weren’t really interested in the TV). There was also a closet, bathrobe, safe and a clean bathroom. Everything smelled so fresh and I really liked it.
Pai is a great place to stay for a few days to explore the surrounding beauty and enjoy delicious food. Our resort had a pool right next to our room. There are also the Diamond rooms, which are the most expensive ones. They are on the second floor and offer a stunning mountain view. However, there are only about 5 or 6 of these rooms. In addition more affordable independent bungalows are available. Generally the accommodation prices started at 1800 Baht per night and breakfast was included in the price.
The surroundings of the resort are beautiful and lush. There were trees and bushes everywhere and giant fish were swimming around. There were also small and cute bungalows.
In terms of location it’s really fantastic. It's very close to the walking path, but the strange part is that motorcycles and cars pass through here. I think places like this should be completely pedestrian-only. There should be an area for street food vendors, a place where you can walk in the evenings and drink cocktails. But this place hasn't been closed off, which I think is a disadvantage.
Overall I fell in love with Pai at first sight, but there are a few downsides. For example, the roads are very narrow and parking is quite difficult. That's why most people rent scooters. However, since many tourists here rent motorcycles without a license, dangerous situations can arise. We even had an incident: A European tourist almost hit us, but luckily he fell off his bike and only damaged the bike.
We went for a little stroll around the village. Pai is a small town that reminds us a lot of Koh Phangan with its atmosphere. There are many small, cute and high-quality businesses here: cafes, restaurants, massage parlors, shops... They all look lovely.
The location of our hotel was great, right next to the walking street. But this walking street is not like the ones in Koh Samui, Phuket or Pattaya. Generally such places tend to be very crowded, with both tourists and locals filling the streets. In Pai despite being a tourist spot, the crowd is much smaller compared to other places. Still, I can say that this area had the most tourists among the places we visited. Pai has a vibe similar to Koh Phangan, which is why many people prefer to come here.
Massage prices here are quite reasonable. A massage costs around 200 Baht, which seems cheaper compared to Phuket. In some provinces you can even find massages for 150 Baht. The street vendors here are also very unique and cute. It's easy to rent a motorcycle, with a scooter available at every corner for around 100 Baht per day.
Another thing that caught our attention is that almost no one wears a mask here. Both Thai people and tourists are not wearing masks, which really stood out to us. Pai feels like a hipster village, but the atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. The infrastructure is also well developed, with many tour options available. However, we planned to explore on our own rather than buy tours.
We visited Pai Canyon. It's not a very large or grand canyon, but it’s a nice place to take a nature walk and enjoy the views. They especially recommend coming here for sunset. While leaving, we saw signs for DJ performances, so it seems like the place has a great atmosphere in the evenings. During the midday, almost no one is there,just us and a few other tourists. From the top, it looks as if the canyon was hit by a hammer.
There was a restaurant at our hotel and we decided to have dinner there on the first day. After such a long journey, we just wanted to relax and have a nice evening. We started with calamari rings and chicken wings as appetizers. I particularly love spicy snacks with beer. The calamari was very tender, but there was a bit too much batter; I wish it had been thinner.
One of the main dishes was fried rice, which looked incredible. Pineapple fried rice with shrimp and a medium-rare steak were quite normal for a small group. However, I certainly didn’t expect a half-meter-long rack of ribs to arrive. I can honestly say that I haven’t had such delicious ribs in a long time.
I’m not sure how we managed that evening. We spent about an hour and a half trying to eat everything. Our table looked like a feast. I hope everyone gets to enjoy a meal like that.
The next morning we woke up and looked outside to find the weather cloudy and lightly rainy. We hoped it would clear up in a few hours and went to breakfast. The breakfast spread included seasonal fruits, a salad bar, various types of bread and toast, fresh pancakes, tea, coffee, fruit juice and yogurt with muesli options. On my plate was scrambled eggs, pancakes, fruits, hash browns and sausage. By the way sausages are not on the buffet, but you can ask the waiter to bring them. They had done a very elegant presentation and it looked really gorgeous.
The weather was still cloudy, but we decided to continue our journey. We came to a viewpoint near the Chinese Village. There are tea plantations here and the area is decorated with Chinese lanterns, with a very cute architecture. It really looks like a traditional Chinese village. The entrance fee was 20 Baht per person.
You can walk among the tea plantations here, try local teas and buy souvenirs. However, the tea I tried tasted a bit strange. It had flowers in it and a somewhat herbal flavor... Luckily there was regular tea available in the corner.
There’s also something resembling a wishing tree here. Wooden hearts are hung on the branches. It’s similar to the love lock tradition in Europe, where people write their names or wishes on them and hang them on the tree. Such traditions are common in Thai culture.
At the poolside there’s fish food available, but no one is standing by to guard it. It says, Leave 10 Baht, take the food and feed the fish. No one steals the food in Thailand. People leave the money, take what they need or use the toilet. This system is really impressive because Thai people especially the locals, are not inclined to steal.
Of course, there may be exceptions. For example, some poor foreigners or budget travelers sometimes take advantage of such opportunities. But in general Thai people are law-abiding and honest. Of course, there are thieves in Thailand as well, but as a society I can say they are respectful and organized.
We came to a point near the Chinese village. There are gates decorated with Chinese characters, red lanterns and an incredible panorama. It really looks amazing. It’s recommended to come here at sunrise, but the weather was cloudy that day, so we missed it.
Our next goal was the White Buddha. However, getting there was a bit difficult. Fortunately, they provide a sarong at the temple entrance because your shoulders and knees must be covered. My outfit was a little short.
The view was incredibly beautiful, but we still had to go higher. Eventually, we reached the White Buddha. The statue isn’t very large, but the view from there is stunning. Also, you must walk barefoot here as per temple rules,no shoes allowed.
At this point light rain started and the air got cooler. We decided to go to the hot springs to warm up. There are several hot water sources around Pai. The entrance fee for foreigners is 300 Baht. It’s not the cheapest, but the infrastructure is well-prepared: there are toilets, changing rooms and showers. We parked the car and walked 300 meters to the springs. Plastic is prohibited and you can’t enter with a motorcycle.
We reached the hot springs. The water was at 80degrees and the sulfur smell was very strong. Normally boiling eggs is allowed in such places, but it’s not permitted here. However, you can see the boiling water bubbling up from underground when you go a few meters deeper.
We found a spot where we could enter the water. The temperature was 36 degrees, which is perfect for a bath. There were even timers placed to ensure we didn’t stay too long and get boiled.
The water was really hard to get used to. When I went to onsen in Japan, the water was 40degrees, but it didn’t feel as hot. Here, even though it was 36 degrees, it felt almost like boiling water. Perhaps people who come here need to have thicker skin. 😆
Anyway, I went a bit further down because it got cooler as we moved with the flow of the water. It felt better there. By the way I noticed there’s a sign that says boiling eggs is prohibited, but nothing is mentioned about boiling people. 😆
The weather was still cloudy and chilly, so the hot springs were exactly what we needed. Being here was so peaceful, surrounded by forests and we were completely immersed in nature.
The Bamboo Bridge is one of the popular spots near Pai. Unfortunately it seems like a place where you come but don’t do much.You spend 15-20 minutes on the road, but the bridge is made from only a few bamboo poles and very few materials were used. Also there are green rice fields in the background, but they are empty since it's not the season. So, I’d recommend not wasting time here.
Pai has a lot of cafes, but some were closed. Finally we decided to have a burger. The prices were quite reasonable, around 120-150 Baht. The homemade burgers were delicious and served with garlic sauce, definitely a must-try.
We talked to the locals about the Karen tribe in northern Thailand. The Karens are a group that settled in Thailand in the 1980s due to the war in Burma. Thailand housed them and allowed them to live in village, like camps. Now these villages host tourists and although there may not be much tourist interest right now, they are tourist villages. You can enter for 100 Baht (which is cheaper than other villages where the entrance fee is 300 Baht).
The women here wear traditional neck rings. These rings really hurt. They try to ease the pain by putting thin fabrics inside. It’s a tourist attraction, but the women live here and make a living from it. It’s a tough situation from a social justice perspective.
Finally we heard about a café with beautiful views located between Chiang Mai and Pai. And having a nice coffee here and eating something while enjoying the wonderful view was a great experience.
In the evening Pai had a really lively atmosphere. Many young people, both Europeans and Thais, gathered together to explore the nightlife. Although we couldn’t find what we were looking for, it was nice to stroll around the market and buy something.
This adventure was long and filled with experiences, but there was still so much more to discover.