Pai

[Spaniel]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

[thailandlover]

Why are you concerned that it is overrun with backpackers? last I heard, it is mostly Thai tourist so if you go on the weekends it is quite busy but if you go during the week it is much quieter.

[junki3korean]

Its place to rrelax the mind....fun crowd and alot of dope:)

[T_Dog]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

Pai is a wonderful place, and I would hardly say it is over run with backpackers. The backpackers we have seen are mostly well-to-do folks on an around-the-world tour. There are, like another poster said, a lot of Thai tourists from Bangkok, especially on long weekends. We visit Pai several times a year as it is a nice quiet get away. If you hike to a waterfall, you will more than likely be completely alone. As for a place to stay, just walk around for an hour and check out a few places. Even on busy weekends we have never had a problem finding a place that met our needs.

[Spaniel]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

You do not like bacpackers?Why is it so?You will love that drunk policeman who has habit of shooting them - but,what if he shoot you this time?

Dont be stupid - do not go there!He may shoot your wife as well...

borovik,

Thanks borovik for such an inteligent reply. I didn't say I didn't like backpackers, just asking if the place was overrun with them. Yes, I have read about that drunk policeman but I have lived here many years and know how to keep away from that type. So my friend "dont be stupid" and try to be a bit more civil in future replies.

[dario77]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

You will find many places in Pai half prices or less just now.And Hotels are doing a deal of 500 baht for 2 plus breakfast

[Shah Jahan]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

Pairidice or next door, Sundon Doi are on hills over looking the valley and very nice. go over the bridge and hang a left towards vieng noir and you will see both on your right.

I wouldn't recommend staying next to the river as rainy season is approaching...... and any of the places built in the last few years by the BKKers are just cursed....

[T_Dog]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

You will find many places in Pai half prices or less just now.And Hotels are doing a deal of 500 baht for 2 plus breakfast

That sounds good! Can you offer some names of places as we will probably go up there next month.

[borovik]

[quote name='Spaniel'

borovik,

Thanks borovik for such an inteligent reply. I didn't say I didn't like backpackers, just asking if the place was overrun with them. Yes, I have read about that drunk policeman but I have lived here many years and know how to keep away from that type. So my friend "dont be stupid" and try to be a bit more civil in future replies.

I am sorry,I did not mean much of an offence,but!That drunk cop is free on the streets - armed and usually drunk.

This fact is slap in your face - not my words -"dont be stupid".Why do you go there?Thailand is vast country,plenty of places to go.

You will spend there much money?we should boycott this place.They keep this bandit free,in public view,like nothing had ever happened.

Where is our common instinct?The most painfull punishment is hit on the pocket.They already feel it:no farangs in Pai,Thais mostly.

Anyway - Pai is not the place for decent people like you,I believe,its known as...drug village.better go to..ChiangKong,for instance -

charming place on Mekhong,full of nice guest houses,dozen direct buses to BKK.if you want to see drug scenery - KohPangan is better

with its FullMoon parties and dancing girls!

again - I am sorry,but I am more sorry for that slain Canadian and for Thailand,they have to put up with their bandits.

[Spaniel]

Thanks for the Pai "tips". We will probably head that way in a couple of weeks and will try to get there mid-week to avoid the crowds.

[tw25rw]

Thanks for the Pai "tips". We will probably head that way in a couple of weeks and will try to get there mid-week to avoid the crowds.

You can look at Pai on Mapjack.com.

[Datsun240Z]

Pai is nice, quite little place. Some nice restaurants in town to. Hotsprings... ( although i didn't like the egg smell, but it's clean)

[carriemai]

My wife and I are thinking about a trip up north for a week or so and thought we would stop off in Pai for a nite or two. Can anyone recommend a mid-range place to stay?

I visited Prai (or Pai as it is more commonly known) last year, and I have to say it was a very refreshing change from many of the other tourist centric areas here. The locals, together with the tourists, being amongst those who would rather spend their time in art galleries, book shops, and extremely cheap alternative therapy outlets than propping up a hastily slung together beer bar.

140thb for a one and a half hour hot poltice massage compared to 2,500 thb on Phuket for the exact same treatment, not to mention the myriad international food restaurants serving food of very good quality and also extremely cheap, even with wine.

Or would you prefer it were overrun with middle aged men sporting Beer Chang teeshirts, tattoos and the odd earing? If so there are plenty of alternatives.

[tampasailor]

Pai is nice, quite little place. Some nice restaurants in town to. Hotsprings... ( although i didn't like the egg smell, but it's clean)

The egg smell is from the hot spring sulphur and after an hour or so you cant seem to smell it anymore. Many places call them mineral springs and apparently the sulphur and other minearals can have a healing effect on some. Maybe like sulpha drugs? Pai is my fav retreat in LOS. Be prepared for more than an hour of hairpin turns and perhaps motion sickness if you are so inclined, on the way up and ear popping on the way down. Dont forget your camera~!

[junki3korean]

I rode from Chiang Mai with 2 poms I met there.....6AM Christmas day 2007 Hungover!

I thought I was going to die so many hair-pins! alot off near accidents on the way....

Riding there is a challenge but once done feels like an achievement!

[tampasailor]

I rode from Chiang Mai with 2 poms I met there.....6AM Christmas day 2007 Hungover!

I thought I was going to die so many hair-pins! alot off near accidents on the way....

Riding there is a challenge but once done feels like an achievement!

I am sure I burned up a set of tires on the rented Toyota but it was fun. My Thai passenger did not warn me and finally dumped her cookies all over the front seat so be warned~!

She maybe shy to tell you she is not feeling well. The driver can anticipate each turn but the passenger cannot so inner ear messages tell brain to dump cookies or die~! Lesson learned.

[Datsun240Z]

Pai is nice, quite little place. Some nice restaurants in town to. Hotsprings... ( although i didn't like the egg smell, but it's clean)

The egg smell is from the hot spring sulphur and after an hour or so you cant seem to smell it anymore. Many places call them mineral springs and apparently the sulphur and other minearals can have a healing effect on some. Maybe like sulpha drugs? Pai is my fav retreat in LOS. Be prepared for more than an hour of hairpin turns and perhaps motion sickness if you are so inclined, on the way up and ear popping on the way down. Dont forget your camera~!

Yeah, I do not get car sick easily, but I almost did it in the curvy route to pai! I love it, nice place to have a house though. Simple town.

[Jungian]

Pai is a great place! Yeah, I don't get the backpacker thing either though, as long as they are not teaching my children English live and let live...

[junki3korean]

Tubing in Pai is great fun too.....Has anyone here tried???

[craigt3365]

I was there for the first time in 2001. Went back last year and was surprised at the changes. IMHO, lots of backpackers. Maybe we just had back luck or something, but it was packed with a lot of Israeli backpackers...all on rented mopeds.

At night, the foreign backpackers are selling necklaces, etc on the streets...trying to make a few bucks. I didn't see a lot of Thai tourists...and my wife doesn't remember many either. We stayed in town near the river. Great hotel and the price was not bad. We rented a car and drove around. Beautiful country. There is also a national park nearby that has cabins you can rent. Really beautiful place....

[Spaniel]

My wife is having seconds thoughts about driving to Pai from Bangkok because friends have told her it is very dangerous at this time of the year because of all the rain. Does anyone in Pai or who made the trip in the past few weeks from Bangkok think it was dangerous?

[tw25rw]

I visited Prai (or Pai as it is more commonly known)

Where have you seen it spelt Prai?

Really Bpaai is more accurate AFAIK.

[pdavids]

You could forget Pai altogether and head for what those in the know call the "new Pai" or more accurately Pai as it was 20 years ago. Bo Klua in Nan province. Where, I hear you say? Which is why it is the Pai of 20 years ago! Unique spot and still basically undiscovered.

[Briggsy]

I did not like Pai very much. Far too many backpackers for my liking. Bringing with them the problems mass tourism initially leads to in Thailand e.g. too many unplanned chaotic crowded areas, (often unnoticed) hostility or ennui from Thais dealing with (often Israeli) stroppy customers every day, inflated prices, etc.

That is the view from Mr Miserable here. Try Mae Hong Son itself.