Backpacker Paradise or Overcrowded Chaos? Pai Struggles with Tourism Boom

[koele2]

The Pai locals barely get any real benefit.  All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people years ago when Pai was recognized as the next big thing.  It’s the same all over the country’s tourist hotspots.  Locals own barely any of it, all the money made goes straight to bangkok, and the place is ruined because it costs too much to fix.

[koele2]

The Pai locals barely get any real benefit.  All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people years ago when Pai was recognized as the next big thing.  It’s the same all over the country’s tourist hotspots.  Locals own barely any of it, all the money made goes straight to bangkok, and the place is ruined because it costs too much to fix.

[koele2]

The Pai locals barely get any real benefit.  All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people years ago when Pai was recognized as the next big thing.  It’s the same all over the country’s tourist hotspots.  Locals own barely any of it, all the money made goes straight to bangkok, and the place is ruined because it costs too much to fix.

[Dcheech]

5 minutes ago, koele2 said:

The Pai locals barely get any real benefit.  All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people years ago when Pai was recognized as the next big thing.  It’s the same all over the country’s tourist hotspots.  Locals own barely any of it, all the money made goes straight to bangkok, and the place is ruined because it costs too much to fix.

 

And that is the truth, but you notice how the Thai media always fails to mention that fact.  

[riverhigh]

Thanks for the horrendous photo. All doubt has been removed that I am now old ... 555. Nothing worse than a tranquil area turned into a  cesspool of  self-centered narcissistic young adults. I have very fond memories of Pai and intend to return in the "very low" season of  July and August. As a side note, you won't be seeing me floating around in a old tire tube buzzed out of my mind on some locally procured drug.

[OneMoreFarang]

19 minutes ago, koele2 said:

 All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people

And who did those Bangkok people buy the land from? Maybe from the locals? And maybe the locals were happy to collect that money?

Did anybody force them to sell?

[Bday Prang]

where are they all coming from? What countries?   its not necessarily the result of any changes to the visa free system.

[Gknrd]

Hard to believe that is what it is turning into. 

[connda]

3 hours ago, cr600john said:

Is this NOT what the Thai Government wanted? free visa, talk of lifting the BAN on ALCOHOL SALES, To get more tourists in and get them happy drunk. then complain that only BAD FARANGS.coming to THAILAND.

Translated:

We love tourist money; We hate tourists.

[NorthernRyland]

There was a 7 day festival in my town last week with loud music at night (Just the usual Thai market with Thai music affair) so I decided to take a few days to tour around Chiang Dao.

 

Unbeknownst to me there was the annual "Shambala" festival happening in Chiang Dao at the very same time. Hundreds of new age hippies were crawling around the valley and hotels were packed out make it hard to find a good place to stay.

 

These people colonize areas like Pai and have constructed a narrative about what Thailand is and are living out some collective fantasy for the rest of the us to experience. Shambala is fitting because they themselves are shams. I really dislike this people.

 

They could wreck Chiang Dao along Pai potentially if they colonize it. The amount of Korean, Japanese and Chinese new age cosplayers I saw was noteworthy. I didn't know they were in to that stuff too.

[Taboo2]

I do hope the tourist babe use the "bum gun" and soap.  They tend to smell real bad, especially the women.  God Bless Thai people, who are always clean and are not afraid of soap and water.

[connda]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Looks like a pretty horrendous scene, when a place becomes that popular and gets that crowded it's just not fun anymore. Who on earth would want to be there hanging out with such massive sweaty crowds? I don't think so. I just don't understsnd sheeples anymore. 

 

The government should not complain, they're constantly talking about wanting to increase tourist numbers, and they've made the visa process so simple. What on earth are they expecting? 

I think in the Thai government's "Perfect World" tourist would just send the vacation money to a Thai bank, but stay home.

[Taboo2]

1 hour ago, Tarteso said:

Pai Pee ..Yellow  River 🤔

Where is the bathroom?

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, blaze master said:

 

I think you'll find plenty of greed to go around amongst the villagers as well. 

They burn down the forests every year for foraging and smoke out millions of people. No remorse. They would cut down every single tree to make a few bucks if the government didn't stop them. Actually quite greedy and short sided people.

[NorthernRyland]

33 minutes ago, koele2 said:

The Pai locals barely get any real benefit.  All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people years ago when Pai was recognized as the next big thing.  It’s the same all over the country’s tourist hotspots.  Locals own barely any of it, all the money made goes straight to bangkok, and the place is ruined because it costs too much to fix.

Bangkok speculators are a plague. I really despise them. 

[NorthernRyland]

18 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

Thanks for the horrendous photo. All doubt has been removed that I am now old ... 555. Nothing worse than a tranquil area turned into a  cesspool of  self-centered narcissistic young adults. I have very fond memories of Pai and intend to return in the "very low" season of  July and August. As a side note, you won't be seeing me floating around in a old tire tube buzzed out of my mind on some locally procured drug.

 

You think that's bad? This is what I had to see that last week. I'm certain most of these people came from Pai for the Chiang Dao Shambala festival. It's a traveling circus but they're in denial that they're clowns.

 

[Hummin]

55 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Looking at that picture I wonder what they do in Thailand. Farangs meeting farangs?

I don't see even one Thai girl on that picture. What's the point of sitting in the water with all those other boys?

I didn't come for Thai girls my first years, and it took quite a few years before I slowly started to get involved with them. There is other options and interests I your needs are covered. 

 

But  Thailand was better before, and even the most hidden beaches have become ruined by now. Last paradise is one

 

 

[blaze master]

9 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

Where is the bathroom?

 

We all live in a yellow submarine...a yellow submarine. 

[cmsally]

40 minutes ago, koele2 said:

The Pai locals barely get any real benefit.  All the good land and big businesses were bought up by bangkok people years ago when Pai was recognized as the next big thing.  It’s the same all over the country’s tourist hotspots.  Locals own barely any of it, all the money made goes straight to bangkok, and the place is ruined because it costs too much to fix.

 

This is precisely the problem in many places. Many of the hotels and restaurants in Chiang Mai are owned by Thai or foreign investors and therefore they are only interested in mass tourism and growing bank balances. They have zero consideration for local people, local environment and culture.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Zack61 said:

I first went to Pai 40 years ago and it truly was a tranquil place. I hitched my way there on a logging truck from Chiang Mai on a predominantly dirt road and, as I recall I had to walk in 5 kilometres from the road that went to Mae Hong Son and the only accommodation I was able to find was floor space and a mosquito net on a 20m x 20m elevated wooden structure with no walls with a big open fireplace in the middle. Probably 20-30 other people altogether. The last time I was there was about 10 years ago and the place was unrecognizable. I can only imagine what it is like today but the photos suggest it has slid further into an abyss. I'm not sure what the attraction is, but maybe I'm not stimulated by the same things as the current generation. Each to their own but I find lot of the tourist attractions a little bit "ho hum". I'm just glad I saw it when I did.

My sense of it is that when we were younger we just don't seem to mind the crowds. I think some people even seek out the crowds, but as we get older we realize that the crowds have no allure, and some of us run in the other direction when it comes to avoiding the crowds. I read about cities like Barcelona that are staggering under the weight of tens of millions of tourists, and it just sounds absolutely horrific. 

 

The Thai government seems to have an intense desire to attract as many tourists as is humanly possible, and their hunger for tourism seems insatiable. But the people are paying a huge price for that unquenchable greed. 

[Tarteso]

14 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

Where is the bathroom?

inside each float👍

[kwak250]

Its like you give out free beer and then complain why people are drunk

Imagine having lived all your life in a nice calm relaxing area and then thousands of twatpackers turn up.

Feel sorry for places like Koh Samui which 30 + years ago was beautiful but spoilt now and will get even worse when they finish the bridge to get there .
 

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Looking at that picture I wonder what they do in Thailand. Farangs meeting farangs?

It's a traveling colony. They only go to places where other people like themselves go and congregate pushing out the locals. For these world travelers the world is merely a backdrop to their self-indulgent lifestyle.

[hotsun]

Everyone acts like tourists are destroying the country. Thai people do a good enough job of destroying their own country

[tjintx]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Looking at that picture I wonder what they do in Thailand. Farangs meeting farangs?

I don't see even one Thai girl on that picture. What's the point of sitting in the water with all those other boys?

 

Throw in some wash powder, bring in some ladies, and you got yourself an open-air soapie!

[OneMoreFarang]

18 minutes ago, kwak250 said:

Its like you give out free beer and then complain why people are drunk

Imagine having lived all your life in a nice calm relaxing area and then thousands of twatpackers turn up.

Feel sorry for places like Koh Samui which 30 + years ago was beautiful but spoilt now and will get even worse when they finish the bridge to get there .
 

 

And it seems not enough from the incoming money is used for waste removal, street maintenance, etc.

It's only getting worse all the time. Sad.

[patman30]

They no longer need to go to Laos to smoke weed while tubing down a river, that's a lot of $$$ being spent in Thailand instead of Laos

[Woke to Sounds]

46 minutes ago, Taboo2 said:

I do hope the tourist babe use the "bum gun" and soap.  They tend to smell real bad, especially the women.

No need for bum gun when have patchouli mate.

 

I got something big and long for those hippie girls anyhow... and it ain't no bifter.

[Drumbuie]

MRT, BTS and ARL have been much fuller than usual this year right through the day, not just in rush hour. Mostly backpackers, Chinese tourists with lots of luggage, and of course Russians, but lots of ( mostly Northern)  European languages too. 

 

I lived in a UK tourist hotspot for 25 years and by the end you could feel the whole village gritting its teeth, waiting for the end of the tourist season.

 

It definitely got worse after COVID. It seems as though during lockdown a lot of people forgot how to behave; now most just focus on what they want and pay no attention to the effect that that has on others. 

 

I have friends in Pai who've been suggesting I visit them - having seen that photo, I'm now *not* tempted. 

[Hummin]

Even BkK is quite full right now, and hotels we useally stayed who had good capacity, is now full, and the gyms and swimmingpool overcrowded. 

 

Instead of eating dinner, we choose late lunch at our favorite restaurants.