travel from Chiang Mai to Pai/Mae Hong Son question

[Zoen]

I'm hoping to take a few days to go Wat Tam Wua Monastery two hours from Pai on the road to Mae Hong Son. I read the mountainous road from Chiang Mai has steep drop-offs. This probably sounds silly, but are the buses and vans pretty safe, or do they occasionally fall over?

Also, if anyone's been there, will the buses/vans from Chiang Mai let you off there, or do you have to transfer to a different bus in Pai.

Last question, going back I will be going to Chiang Dao. Can one disembark the bus at Ban Mae Malai (where the bus/van turns south into Chiang Mai) and pick up a songthaew or bus north from there?

Thanks so much.

ps (I have never been to Thailand before)

[theblether]

This time of year there are landslips and further problems with the roads. I've never heard of a minivan going over the side but a Thai friend told me she was in one that lost power and slid back down one of the steep hills.

Have a look at flying with Kan Airlines to Mae Hong Son then getting a taxi to the Temple, I believe the Temple is only 30 minutes from MHS by road. The flight is about 1,300 baht and a great experience in a Cessna. I believe Nok Airlines also fly with a bigger aircraft.

You need to know that the Chiang Mai to Pai route is notoriously torturous, with all the bends in the road making some feel ill. Going on from there it's even "worse" heading for MHS. I love the road but I'm always in a private car when I'm using it, I wouldn't fancy a doing it on a van.

Next question, I don't know. I was down that way last week, songthaews run from Chiang Mai to Mae Taen, which is 30kms from Chiang Dao. You can then pick up the Tha Ton bus from there, or even just get it from CM all the way. I prefer taking the songthaews as far as possible as the bus can be a quite laborious journey.

If you do the trip this way, pick up a white songthaew at Warorot market, expect to pay 25 - 30 baht to Ma Taen. It's then 14 baht for the bus. If you travel all the way from CM on the bus it's 39 baht to Chiang Dao I believe. The yellow songthaews at the bus "terminal" in Chiang Dao, it's really just a bus stop, will then ask you for 150 baht to take you out to CD Cave. That's the rate for up to 5 people. The problem just now is that there aren't many tourists down there so you may end up getting stung for the whole 150 baht as you'll have to travel alone.

[kelboy]

went on this road on my bike last year and the road was very bad,

so get the plane.i only get in a thai bus as a last resort but would

never go up a mountain in one least of all that one.

[Zoen]

One other question: Which direction, if one did go by road one way, would be on the inside, the mountain side of the road-- i.e. not on the drop-off side?

Thanks

[KRS1]

One other question: Which direction, if one did go by road one way, would be on the inside, the mountain side of the road-- i.e. not on the drop-off side?

Thanks

pai to cnx

road is not as treacherous as some say, adventurous yes !

never heard of buses falling off the side, but i know two people who were coming from pai to cnx and mysteriously vanished.

[moe666]

Geez what a load of crap on here about the road. Yes it has curves yes it is steep, no it isn't dangerous unless you are an idiot. Take the expresss van from the CM buss station, go a few days early and make a reservation for this and to pick your seat I would recommend the front seat next to driver. Tell the driver you want off at Wat Tam Wua and he will let you off on the main road about a 15 to 20 min. walk up to the Wat. You will stop in Pai but not change busses and you will pay for a full fare ticket to MHS about 240 baht. I have taken this van many times and the drivers are excellent never felt in Danger at all. I drove to MHS in a rental car several months back and no problem.

The ticket kiosk for this van is at the old bus station in the back they will have a sch. of trips posted and you select your time and what day, I do not advise going the same day as this is a very popular way to get to MHS. Make your reservation at least 2 days in advance. Have fun Wat Tam Wua is a good experience stayed there twice for one month each time PM me if you want more info.

[el jefe]

^ I agree with most of what Moe wrote above. I was on the road earlier this year and it was in excellent condition then, though I can't swear that the rainy season hasn't taken an unusual toll on it this year. I've never heard of one of the vans going off the road. But as has been mentioned, the drivers do go relatively fast. If you're prone to motion sickness, you will get sick in the back.

As for getting to Chiang Dao, it should be possible to get off in Mae Malai and flag down a passing songthiew, though I don't know how long the wait would be and not all will go all the way to Chiang Dao. I've picked up songthiews several times on the road outside Chiang Dao heading back to Chiang Mai, but never needed to do that going north.

An earlier poster mentioned going from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao via "Ma Taen". I assume he meant Mae Taeng.

[SPIKECM]

The road isn't bad at all. Just the usual problem of Thai drivers...main problem I find is that at least the pick ups with locals driving, they are not so fast and they know the road.... the problem is the young sons of the Bangkok rich heading off to "Pai in Love" for a weekend, driving from Bangkok with the girlfriend sitting alongside and showing off their fast driving skills.. they are lethal on that road. I don't think too much of driving that road, but I reckon that if you did it every day, you wouldn't get a year in without some sort of accident. You drive like an Englishman and you'll have an accident on the way....you have to be used to Thai drivers to drive it.

One other question: Which direction, if one did go by road one way, would be on the inside, the mountain side of the road-- i.e. not on the drop-off side?

Thanks

pai to cnx

road is not as treacherous as some say, adventurous yes !

never heard of buses falling off the side, but i know two people who were coming from pai to cnx and mysteriously vanished.