Minivan Chiang Mai To Pai

[Impkenai]

I'll be in Chiang Mai some time in June, and am thinking of spending a few days up in Pai.

I know Kan Air has daily flights to Pai, but I am checking out the minivan option. Anyone has any recommendations as to the 'better' minivan company service to take? And approx how long is the journey and how much?

I know the road goes through some mountains and may be uncomfortable, that's why I checking for a 'more comfortable' minivan company.

Any recommendations are welcomed.

[barefoot1988]

if you buy the ticket (150baht) from arcade bus station, make sure you buy the minivan, not the minibus. and when filling the forms up, make sure the back seats are for 4, if u got the one with 3 seat, good luck it will be the older minivan with rock hard suspension which will be very uncomfortably.

alternatively you could check out aya tour services which have daily trips as well. (200 baht)

i make quite frequent trips to pai, overall it really depends on your luck with the driver and the passenger as well. met once a crazy driver, and the nastiest experience was with a vomiting tourist and a crying child. quite a terror i must say.

[nikster]

3 - 3 1/2 hours. Mixed experiences as barefoot said... totally depends. Or rent a scooter and ride...

[Impkenai]

Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated.

[Fishenough]

Kudos on your bravery for traveling between Chiang Mai and Pai via minivan.

Wishing you safe journey in June!

[Impkenai]

Kudos on your bravery for traveling between Chiang Mai and Pai via minivan.

Wishing you safe journey in June!

You are being very kind to me. I thought the correct word should be 'stupidity' instead of 'bravery'. LOL

Done two tourist trips via minivans to the Golden Triangle and survived. Perhaps I was just lucky. Tough journey and very tiring, and I need motion pills to keep from puking. So I was drowsy most of the time, maybe that helped.

So I'll be taking those little pills again in June. No worries bud.

[LazyYogi]

Tip to keep from puking: Keep your eyes closed.

Motion sickness is caused by your brain getting mixed signals from your eyes and inner ear. It assumes that you ate some halucinogenic, which it tries to purge from your system.

Of course you also miss all the nice scenery that way, but it's better than getting sick.

[PoodMaiDai]

I personally watched a van fly off the road and off the mountain on the way to Pai years back. Right in front of us. He was driving like a bat out of hell, passed us going around a corner then flew right off the edge. About 30 minutes on down the road there were a bunch of police and lookers as another vehicle had flown off the edge. Apparently this is somewhat common in the mountains along that stretch of road.

Your life is worth more than it is to some strung out bus driver who will race to Pai and who has probably been drinking all night, and/or hacked up on meth to stay awake.

I suggest flying or renting a car and driving yourself. It just may save your life.

[amexpat]

I personally watched a van fly off the road and off the mountain on the way to Pai years back. Right in front of us. He was driving like a bat out of hell, passed us going around a corner then flew right off the edge. About 30 minutes on down the road there were a bunch of police and lookers as another vehicle had flown off the edge. Apparently this is somewhat common in the mountains along that stretch of road.

Your life is worth more than it is to some strung out bus driver who will race to Pai and who has probably been drinking all night, and/or hacked up on meth to stay awake.

I suggest flying or renting a car and driving yourself. It just may save your life.

+1

[barefoot1988]

actually driving yourself could be even more dangerous imo especially if you are inexperienced. the road are sandy, full of tight bends and pot holes, animal carcass etc etc. if you think going slow will help, you will probably get tailed and thats probably when drivers get aggressive and overtake in those tight corners filled with blind spots. a head on collision will probably drag your vehicle down as well

if you keen in seeing those scenery from the minivans, i suggest taking a flight up and taking a minivan down. much more comfortable going down

Edited February 21, 2012 by barefoot1988

[eyecatcher]

I have to say, everyone has valid points, and we all know the stories of the bus in the ravine, the motorbike wrapped around a tree and a rockfall onto your car..and of course the worst fear, the skill and sobriety of the driver.

i have not been afraid in the past to say to the driver 'kab rot chaa chaa krap' please slow down, and i have also on one occasion hidden a small bottle of whisky that was on show in the central console.

whether its true or not..i know a story of a group who between them decided to stop the bus, put the driver in the back and one of them continued to drive to their destination.

i suppose, just be aware of the dangers but dont be afraid to speak up if you are getting nervous, they will listen...they know how short tempered farangs are, they fear us, we complain at nothing generally...good luck with your trip

[IanForbes]

Fishenough is correct. All my Thai accidents were caused either directly or indirectly by silver vans. I just got back from Mae Hong Son via the Pai route. The silver vans seem to take delight in almost running you off the road.

Ian

[el jefe]

if you keen in seeing those scenery from the minivans, i suggest taking a flight up and taking a minivan down. much more comfortable going down

Pai's altitude is about 486 meters. Chiang Mai about 310. There's about 1900 meters of climbing between here and Pai; 1700 on the return. Not much difference at all. If you suffer from motion sickness, as the OP said, and you want to take a mini van one way I suggest taking the bus TO Pai. You'll go slower on a bus and with a minimal amont of additional climbing that will be slower too.

@Ian Forbes -- "all" of your accidents were caused by silver vans? You've had 3 or more? And, of course, there's no personal responsibility?

[barefoot1988]

if you keen in seeing those scenery from the minivans, i suggest taking a flight up and taking a minivan down. much more comfortable going down

Pai's altitude is about 486 meters. Chiang Mai about 310. There's about 1900 meters of climbing between here and Pai; 1700 on the return. Not much difference at all. If you suffer from motion sickness, as the OP said, and you want to take a mini van one way I suggest taking the bus TO Pai. You'll go slower on a bus and with a minimal amont of additional climbing that will be slower too.

@Ian Forbes -- "all" of your accidents were caused by silver vans? You've had 3 or more? And, of course, there's no personal responsibility?

have you been a trip up yourself to feel that? i feel way better on a minivan rolling down the slope than dragging the gear up the slope. the differences are big to me

afaik, there are no modern giant aircon bus up to pai. i have seen but never had any experience in those non aircon bus, they look like they came out from the wwii era, with passengers hanging their hands and head out for fresh and cooler air. seems nothing but torture to me

Edited February 24, 2012 by barefoot1988

[naboo]

I've been on the old bus a few times. Would rather do it again than get a minivan.

[necronx99]

I have to say, everyone has valid points, and we all know the stories of the bus in the ravine, the motorbike wrapped around a tree and a rockfall onto your car..and of course the worst fear, the skill and sobriety of the driver.

i have not been afraid in the past to say to the driver 'kab rot chaa chaa krap' please slow down, and i have also on one occasion hidden a small bottle of whisky that was on show in the central console.

whether its true or not..i know a story of a group who between them decided to stop the bus, put the driver in the back and one of them continued to drive to their destination.

i suppose, just be aware of the dangers but dont be afraid to speak up if you are getting nervous, they will listen...they know how short tempered farangs are, they fear us, we complain at nothing generally...good luck with your trip

" they fear us"

[anselpixel]

I hired a taxi and driver my first trip up to Pai. BIg mistake. It cost far more than all the other options, and educated me in the fact that the less a vehicle weighs, the more one feels centripetal force. Next time I took Aya. Okay by me. Not wonderful, but much better.

[T_Dog]

I've been on the old bus a few times. Would rather do it again than get a minivan.

I tend to agree. The buses (and there are some nice new ones that leave the bus station) seem to go at reasonable speeds whereas the vans go at the fastest speeds possible. There is one tour company that I regularly see causing danger to all traffic on the 1095 in the way they pass and cut off other vehicles. I am on the 1095 a couple times a week and am shocked to see the speeds some of the minivans drive.

[IanForbes]

@Ian Forbes -- "all" of your accidents were caused by silver vans? You've had 3 or more? And, of course, there's no personal responsibility?

I guess I had the option of walking everywhere. Then I could just jump into the bushes when they are coming at me in my lane or the sidewalk I'm on. No, I DON'T take responsibility for my 5 accidents in Thailand. In each case it's been vans that forced me off the road. Or, they turned right in front of me when their signal said they were turning left. Or, in the case of my last and worst accident, the unmaintained van blew it's motor and spewed oil all over the road on a hairpin turn in the mountains.

On a further note I actually complimented a Green Bus driver for his excellent driving skills. I was seated right behind him on a long trip and could "read" the road ahead of us. The Green bus had reasonable power and could maintain highway speeds. The driver had good anticipation of what was happening ahead of him and made his passes safely, yet he still kept at a reasonable speed. He didn't pass on corners, but he passed a lot of other vehicles... when it was safe to do so. That was totally unlike so many other vehicles we were following.

Edited February 25, 2012 by IanForbes

[IanForbes]

I tend to agree. The buses (and there are some nice new ones that leave the bus station) seem to go at reasonable speeds whereas the vans go at the fastest speeds possible. There is one tour company that I regularly see causing danger to all traffic on the 1095 in the way they pass and cut off other vehicles. I am on the 1095 a couple times a week and am shocked to see the speeds some of the minivans drive.

And the vans that travel in groups are the worst. It seems if it is safe for one van to pass a slower moving vehicle then the whole group of them seem to think it's safe for all of them to pass at the same time.