Pai Crowded, Expensive

[millwall_fan]

pai was a nice town a few years back.it was laid back and only a few tourist then,now it is just over the top and is spoiled

A few years back?!? The last time Pai had only a few tourists was back in the 1980s. The town itself had been spoiled and over the top for the past 20 years. Still charming outside the town itself, but I much prefer traveling the extra few hours to MHS.

Nah it wasn't, Pai was still great in the '90s with hardly any tourists in off season and good well into the noughties, even up until a few years back. It's mainly down to that film (see above), but influx of Bangkokians in general at this time now. I can empathise with the op and have noticed the downturn in quality of food of late, including in CM, and the 'grabbing'. MHS's nice, as is CDao, but they just haven't got that setting and je ne sais quoi that Pai had.

I first went to Pai in 1996 and as mentioned above it was a sleepy little town with a basic tourist infrastructure and no more. Nowadays we go in the off season: June is a good time to go. Few people adn a relaxed atmosphere. This past week or so is not the time to visit anywhere with all the Bangkokians clogging up the roads, hotels etc. Their itineries are mostly the same: . Doi Suthep, Doi Inthanon, Pai and then thankfully back to work in Bangkok. If you want somewhere more relaxed and quiet, drive another 45 KMs and stop at the village variously called Soppong or Bangmapha. some nice resorts and gust houses a couple of restaurants and a village atmosphere. Wiang Heng, mentioned by Winnie is way off the beaten track and nothing special imho. Phrao is certainly a possibility or try Phu Chi Faa or Doi Angkhan or, one of my favourites Doi Wawee. The point is that there are lots of alternatives to Pai.

[Ulysses G.]

Personally, I like Doi Mae Salong for a lovely, peaceful spot that is not touristy - no pizza or banana pancakes though.

[hml367]

Personally, I like Doi Mae Salong for a lovely, peaceful spot that is not touristy - no pizza or banana pancakes though.

Don't they have a 7-11 now?

MSPain

[Foxman888]

Personally, I like Doi Mae Salong for a lovely, peaceful spot that is not touristy - no pizza or banana pancakes though.

Don't they have a 7-11 now?

MSPain

Yes they do, was there a couple of weeks ago. Really liked it, nice chinese food, and nice scenery. Spent a night camping under the stars, with a cracking bbq and a nice bottle of whiskey.

[Ulysses G.]

Personally, I like Doi Mae Salong for a lovely, peaceful spot that is not touristy - no pizza or banana pancakes though.

Don't they have a 7-11 now?

MSPain

I am not sure. I haven't been for a while, but it still would be a nice spot (with crappy Thai micro-wave pizza).

Edited December 31, 2012 by Ulysses G.

[cloudhopper]

Those who know, know that the time to be in Pai is the reainy season.

[BookMan]

I've never really understood the attraction to Pai. Chiang Dao is more scenic, closer, less crowded, cheaper. To my way of thinking it beats Pai in every way yet it's never captured the popularity of Pai .

The recent Thai invasion in Pai has to do with a film saome frieds of my wife made. Oddly enough they own land in Chiang Dao and not Pai. I asked the husband and wife producer/director, knowing what you know now about your films affect on Thai awareness of Pai, would you ever make aq film featuring Chiang Dao? They said NEVER!

What is the name of this movie that people keep referencing?

[HaleySabai]

We arrived Pai Dec.29 in the early evening,it was bumper to bumper all the way to the bridge.Our trusted guesthouse was full and I suspected most everywhere else was to.

Lucky for us we had our tents(doing an off-road motorcycle tour) was able to pitch the tents for 30 baht each on the bungalow property. It was a tent-city on the river bank,both sides of the bridge.

I find the food to be very good and reasonable price(for the most part) you just need to know where to go and or speak-Thai to get proper directions.

Granted the place is PACK-OUT with tourist this time of year.

[Joop50]

Chiang Mai very crowded and expensive too, where can we go? Krung Thep!

[lannarebirth]

I've never really understood the attraction to Pai. Chiang Dao is more scenic, closer, less crowded, cheaper. To my way of thinking it beats Pai in every way yet it's never captured the popularity of Pai .

The recent Thai invasion in Pai has to do with a film saome frieds of my wife made. Oddly enough they own land in Chiang Dao and not Pai. I asked the husband and wife producer/director, knowing what you know now about your films affect on Thai awareness of Pai, would you ever make aq film featuring Chiang Dao? They said NEVER!

What is the name of this movie that people keep referencing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruk_Jung

Edited December 31, 2012 by lannarebirth

[BookMan]

I've never really understood the attraction to Pai. Chiang Dao is more scenic, closer, less crowded, cheaper. To my way of thinking it beats Pai in every way yet it's never captured the popularity of Pai .

The recent Thai invasion in Pai has to do with a film saome frieds of my wife made. Oddly enough they own land in Chiang Dao and not Pai. I asked the husband and wife producer/director, knowing what you know now about your films affect on Thai awareness of Pai, would you ever make aq film featuring Chiang Dao? They said NEVER!

What is the name of this movie that people keep referencing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruk_Jung

Thanks!

[rene123]

I find these topics a somewhere in between puzzling and amusing.Also in 2005, and at almost any time after the early 1980's, tourists -though they mostly referred to themselves as 'travellers' back then-, liked visiting Pai *BECAUSE* it had some tourist infrastructure that, while basic, was very cheap. This made it a nice place to hang out without burning through too much money. (And for many, damned near no money at all.)What else was remarkable about Pai compared to just about any other district-town in the North? NOTHING. Most of the district towns in upcountry Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son are scenic. They all get a mix of ethnicities (hilltribes, Shan, etc.), making their way to the morning market center, they all have waterfalls nearby and a trip to any one of them involves a similar number of hairpins and mountain views.The one thing that was different about Pai is that it got tourists, making it an attractive place for other tourists to go and hang out, drink something, smoke something.This, of course, should be good news. Because you could almost throw a dart at a map of Northern Thailand and find plenty places that are like Pai in the early 1980's. Sleepy district towns with almost no tourists. However this is not truly what most tourists want; they want Pai, frozen in time exactly on January 6th, 1997, the officially designated high-point when Pai had JUST the right number of visitors, reasonable prices, but still a handful of some pubs, coffee shops, massage shops, a dude with a couple elephants for that scenic photo, and a travel office to easily grab that minibus to the next 'vibey' place to hang. [A similar argument applies to the islands too, by the way. Everyone claims to want a deserted beach on an uninhabited island, without realizing that those don't have dudes with guitars playing Marley tunes, and if they want anything to smoke they'd better be growing it themselves.]THAT is difficult. To find that peak with *just enough* tourist infrastructure that exactly meets your personal comfort requirements at a particular time in your life. But don't let anyone tell you that it's hard to find scenic, sleepy district towns in the mountains of CM and MHS.EDIT: By the way, Mae Kampong is next. Or maybe Phrao. Or Wiang Haeng. Or Sop Moei. Please go there today because in 10 years time I don't want to listen to the whining about what it was like in 2012. Added bonus, you will be able to leer at people visiting in 2022 going "Maaaahhnnnnn you shoudave been here ten years ago.."

Great post, Winnie, I agree entirely. There has to be a balance of things to do: accommodation, food and at a reasonable price.

Edited December 31, 2012 by rene123

[wigantojapan]

I find these topics a somewhere in between puzzling and amusing.

Also in 2005, and at almost any time after the early 1980's, tourists -though they mostly referred to themselves as 'travellers' back then-, liked visiting Pai *BECAUSE* it had some tourist infrastructure that, while basic, was very cheap. This made it a nice place to hang out without burning through too much money. (And for many, damned near no money at all.)

What else was remarkable about Pai compared to just about any other district-town in the North? NOTHING. Most of the district towns in upcountry Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son are scenic. They all get a mix of ethnicities (hilltribes, Shan, etc.), making their way to the morning market center, they all have waterfalls nearby and a trip to any one of them involves a similar number of hairpins and mountain views.

The one thing that was different about Pai is that it got tourists, making it an attractive place for other tourists to go and hang out, drink something, smoke something.

This, of course, should be good news. Because you could almost throw a dart at a map of Northern Thailand and find plenty places that are like Pai in the early 1980's. Sleepy district towns with almost no tourists. However this is not truly what most tourists want; they want Pai, frozen in time exactly on January 6th, 1997, the officially designated high-point when Pai had JUST the right number of visitors, reasonable prices, but still a handful of some pubs, coffee shops, massage shops, a dude with a couple elephants for that scenic photo, and a travel office to easily grab that minibus to the next 'vibey' place to hang. [A similar argument applies to the islands too, by the way. Everyone claims to want a deserted beach on an uninhabited island, without realizing that those don't have dudes with guitars playing Marley tunes, and if they want anything to smoke they'd better be growing it themselves.]

THAT is difficult. To find that peak with *just enough* tourist infrastructure that exactly meets your personal comfort requirements at a particular time in your life. But don't let anyone tell you that it's hard to find scenic, sleepy district towns in the mountains of CM and MHS.

EDIT: By the way, Mae Kampong is next. Or maybe Phrao. Or Wiang Haeng. Or Sop Moei. Please go there today because in 10 years time I don't want to listen to the whining about what it was like in 2012. Added bonus, you will be able to leer at people visiting in 2022 going "Maaaahhnnnnn you shoudave been here ten years ago.."

still plenty o places with dudes playing marley and a haze of calle mist....but i aint going to tell no one where they are......like and like will atract each other

.when these places are found people dont tend to stay for the 2 day 3 night hill tribe experience that was on offer in thailand during the 80s and still today..i guess.....they stay for much longer.....and keep it quiet......good intension of turning other people on .to your romantic isolated spot......just leads to maximum commercial sameness

[rene123]

Personally, I like Doi Mae Salong for a lovely, peaceful spot that is not touristy - no pizza or banana pancakes though.

Don't they have a 7-11 now?

MSPain

EVERYWHERE has a 7-11! It's the Thai equivalent for a shopping center.

[kjhbigv]

Personally, I like Doi Mae Salong for a lovely, peaceful spot that is not touristy - no pizza or banana pancakes though.

Don't they have a 7-11 now?

MSPain

EVERYWHERE has a 7-11! It's the Thai equivalent for a shopping center.

Google maps has been everywhere!

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=mae+salong+thailand&ll=20.165531,99.627368&spn=0.001551,0.003047&hnear=Mae+Salong+Nok,+Mae+Fa+Luang,+Chiang+Rai,+Thailand&gl=uk&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=20.165531,99.627368&panoid=VmQAkR6qfgIsuJhovZWY1g&cbp=12,198.85,,0,2.29

[HaleySabai]

I asked the husband and wife producer/director, knowing what you know now about your films affect on Thai awareness of Pai, would you ever make aq film featuring Chiang Dao? They said NEVER!

Perhaps they are aware that Chiang Dao and in particular the Cave Village is a hardcore Thaksin stronghold, it really is a stranger place and this can only be apprehended by actually living there for awhile. Nice place to visit.....but.....

[PoodMaiDai]

You can chalk it up to the Thais doing what they do best to a place, which is try their hardest to ruin it as quickly as they can as soon as they see it can be profitable. Every single place I have fallen in love with in Thailand has been ruined in the same manner over the years. Over development, lack of development control, zero planning, price gouging, and so on. It's a shame really.

At least it gives us all an excuse to keep adventuring to find the next place and enjoy it before they ruin that too.

[bitewhentested]

iv been twice i did not like it the first time but got nagged into goin again granted this is about 4 or 5 years ago so maybe it has improved

it remined me a bit off hereford in the uk were the sas are based every one you meet is sas even the fat block at the end of the bar lol

the reason i say this is i must of met at least 6 american s claiming to be Vietnam vets the oldest must of been about 45 lol

why do they always come to talk to me lol

[MESmith]

Drove through the Pai valley today on the way home from MHS. Horrendous traffic. Tail backs on the main road caused by people trying to park at the "must see" view points. As others have stated, avoid over holiday periods, avoid during the dry season, enjoy during the rainy season. I presume there are still quiet parts to the valley where the sheep don't go?

And someone needs to teach the bkk drivers that when going up hill, you need to give the engine a bit more gas......

Edited January 1, 2013 by MESmith

[Gregory Morozov]

In Pai right now. Crowds left today. We are enjoying outstanding Thai food and staying in a bungalow with a beautiful mountain view for 500 baht, 1 km away from the main street...

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[femi fan]

Oh dear, more pai bashing. If you don't like this kind of place then simply don't go back there. The OP liked the countryside, well that IS the main reason for going there. Just keep out of the town. And incidentally there's plenty of places that are less than 800 baht, one just needs to look a bit better. But why stay in the town when the countryside is so nice? Why not stay out there?

Pai certainly attracts the moaning farang. Crikey, how some farang just bloody moan and moan and moan about being here. Places like chiang mai and pai, even as they are developing, are magnificent when compared to so much of the world, yet they just have to be moaned about.

Pai is a truly magnificent place with so many guest houses, so many restaurants and eating places, so many drinking places, so many interesting other kinds of places, excellent walking and cycling, magnificent nature opportunities and so much else to commend it. Yet farang who go there, don't like it, just have to moan about their experience and project that into some kind of objective reality.

Keep away from these places if you don't like them. And as for going at the height of the high season when half of bangkok have left their city is asking for problems for the moaners. There again, perhaps it's the best time to go there if one is a moaner because it provides some class moaning material.

[femi fan]

In Pai right now. Crowds left today. We are enjoying outstanding Thai food and staying in a bungalow with a beautiful mountain view for 500 baht, 1 km away from the main street...

Sent from my Desire HD using Thaivisa Connect App

Good work mate, keep enjoying it. Pai is for people like you, not the moaning farang brigade.

Can you let me know about temperatures? I'll be going there on saturday, and kind of hoping for a colder version of chiang mai.

[Gregory Morozov]

Evenings are around 25°C, in the morning it is cold - about 12-13°C.

Daytime a bit hot.

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[rene123]

It's been a good topic for no other reason than I've learned of a few more places to visit besides the Pai - Mae Hong Son - Mae Sariang loop.

[xen]

We were there last April and enjoyed it. Nice Hotel near the library and the food/restaurants were generally good except for the worse Penang Curry i have ever had. It is basically just a backpackers version of Pattaya. Could not live there but for a few days it was okay.

[binjalin]

it's ok but after 3 visits I won't be returning - the roads up are treacherous too! (more deaths this week with a mini-bus overturning)

[Rasseru]

Oh dear, more pai bashing. If you don't like this kind of place then simply don't go back there. The OP liked the countryside, well that IS the main reason for going there. Just keep out of the town. And incidentally there's plenty of places that are less than 800 baht, one just needs to look a bit better. But why stay in the town when the countryside is so nice? Why not stay out there?

Pai certainly attracts the moaning farang. Crikey, how some farang just bloody moan and moan and moan about being here. Places like chiang mai and pai, even as they are developing, are magnificent when compared to so much of the world, yet they just have to be moaned about.

Pai is a truly magnificent place with so many guest houses, so many restaurants and eating places, so many drinking places, so many interesting other kinds of places, excellent walking and cycling, magnificent nature opportunities and so much else to commend it. Yet farang who go there, don't like it, just have to moan about their experience and project that into some kind of objective reality.

Keep away from these places if you don't like them. And as for going at the height of the high season when half of bangkok have left their city is asking for problems for the moaners. There again, perhaps it's the best time to go there if one is a moaner because it provides some class moaning material.

I trust you are inwardly quite grateful for the post, femi fan, as you seem to have enjoyed yourself very much moaning about it.

[TheVicar]

Oh dear, more pai bashing. If you don't like this kind of place then simply don't go back there. The OP liked the countryside, well that IS the main reason for going there. Just keep out of the town. And incidentally there's plenty of places that are less than 800 baht, one just needs to look a bit better. But why stay in the town when the countryside is so nice? Why not stay out there?

Pai certainly attracts the moaning farang. Crikey, how some farang just bloody moan and moan and moan about being here. Places like chiang mai and pai, even as they are developing, are magnificent when compared to so much of the world, yet they just have to be moaned about.

Pai is a truly magnificent place with so many guest houses, so many restaurants and eating places, so many drinking places, so many interesting other kinds of places, excellent walking and cycling, magnificent nature opportunities and so much else to commend it. Yet farang who go there, don't like it, just have to moan about their experience and project that into some kind of objective reality.

Keep away from these places if you don't like them. And as for going at the height of the high season when half of bangkok have left their city is asking for problems for the moaners. There again, perhaps it's the best time to go there if one is a moaner because it provides some class moaning material.

1. I went to around 12 places in Pai and the cheapest one was B 800 and was a dump (mattress on the floor; no aircon, although not needed now; no fan; no fridge; no view) and tiny.

2. I would never call Pai a "magnificent place"; bad restaurants (also overpriced), too many visitors; without the beauty of Chiang Mai.

3. For your information, I also visited many other places at almost the same time and found them to be far more charming and inviting than Pai was. I will not name them because I don't want them to turn into Pais.

[hellodolly]

A friend of mine moved up there in the low season. He was attracted to it because it reminded him of the communes in California in the 60s and 70s. He said the country was beautiful and every day he rode through it. Because it was low season he was able to get a lovely house at a very cheap price. He said the Farong food was cheaper than Chiang Mai and the Thai food was about the same. Both had excellent places to eat at.

[LarryBird]

You realize that if it was overpriced, it wouldn't be overcrowded? If they priced it right, then the appropriate number of people would be there, not just people looking for a 25 baht guaydtiao, and 300 baht hotel room...