Alternatives to Pai

[Chicog]

I've heard that Pai is going downhill since it's become a victim of its own popularity.

Anyone know any good, accessible and low cost alternatives in the CM area, preferably lakeside where swimming is available and plenty to do and see in walking distance?

[iainiain101]

Swimming in a pool or lake / river?

Technically Pai is in Mae Hon Song.

[Naked Snake]

post it here and accelerate its "going downhill"

[Chicog]

Swimming in a pool or lake / river?

Technically Pai is in Mae Hon Song.

Either. I should say I mean a 3-4 hr drive from CM.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[jaideeguy]

I think that you will have to go to a neighboring country to find a place like the old Pai...............

[Ulysses G.]

Alternatives? I always liked Doi Mae Salong better, but no Western amenities there - although I am told that they finally have a 7/11. Not sure about swimming though.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[quidnunc]

Alternatives? I always liked Doi Mae Salong better, but no Western amenities there - although I am told that they finally have a 7/11. Not sure about swimming though.

Must be a long time since your last visit. They've had a 7-11 there for at least 7 years now. There are waterfalls locally but the stream that feeds the town has been channeled into a fish farm and then to who knows where. As for a lake, I wasn't aware that Pai had a lake. It has a river (big stream?)and waterfalls.

[LivinLOS]

Doesnt have a town (just a hilltribe village) but I recently discovered Pang Ung lake in MHS and the royal projects there.

Theres camping, some rooms and huts, also dorms and other options.. Almost nothing to do after the sun goes down tho, go and have a cup of tea or a drink in one of the shack restaurants in the strip that leads into it.

But its a very very beautiful place.. superb for photography and I am told swimming is OK (we went in the chilly periods so no swimming for me).

About the same distance as MHS from here. I will be going back for sure and might get a bunch of us to go camping and swimming in the hot months.

[AngelsLariat]

It's not the easiest place to get to, but Muang Sing in Laos might fit the bill.

[Ulysses G.]

Alternatives? I always liked Doi Mae Salong better, but no Western amenities there - although I am told that they finally have a 7/11. Not sure about swimming though.

Must be a long time since your last visit. They've had a 7-11 there for at least 7 years now.

Yes it is - longer than 7 years.

Edited January 10, 2014 by Ulysses G.

[jackr]

Chiang Dao's alright, or you could head up to Sri Lanna NP (not far from CD) and stay at one of the guesthouses on the water from where you can have a dip or take a boat ride.

IMO, Pai will always be stunning; well the area at least. The town is of course developed now and has traffic lights and 7-11s etc, but just go in the shoulder season if you're worried about hordes of Bangkokians.

[iainiain101]

Try one of the guest houses in Sappong / Pang Mapha, an hour past Pai on the way to Mae Hon Song.

[khwaibah]

I think that you will have to go to a neighboring country to find a place like the old Pai...............

Bring back the beatnik era of the late 60's and the hippies of the 70's they blew soul into Pai.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai,_Thailand

[puck2]

Doesnt have a town (just a hilltribe village) but I recently discovered Pang Ung lake in MHS and the royal projects there.

Theres camping, some rooms and huts, also dorms and other options.. Almost nothing to do after the sun goes down tho, go and have a cup of tea or a drink in one of the shack restaurants in the strip that leads into it.

But its a very very beautiful place.. superb for photography and I am told swimming is OK (we went in the chilly periods so no swimming for me).

About the same distance as MHS from here. I will be going back for sure and might get a bunch of us to go camping and swimming in the hot months.

Nice video,

....but at now it will be very cold. You should row the "boat". And ... it's more than 3 - 4 hours from CM.

Therefore Soppong, 44 km behind Pai, is an alternative, 4 hours by car. Eden Guesthouse has a swimming pool. From there you can go to Tam Lot, to the hilltribes i.e. in Kuet Sam Sip or into the nice Mae Lana Valley. Great video (go to post # 1) -->

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/585861-anyone-been-to-mae-lana-in-mae-hong-son-this-video-makes-me-wanna/page__hl__+mae%20+lana%20+valley#entry5701376

if you like walking

Edited January 10, 2014 by puck2

[vagabond48]

We just spend a night in Mae Salong. Since, it is high season there, we stayed at Shinsane in a somewhat rundown bungalow costing 500B, We ate at a Chinese style restaurant. We had a Yunnan style chicken dish which tuned out to be mostly skin and bones for 350B and 3 vegetable dishes for 120B each. My wife complained about the chicken and they added a little more meat.

[binjalin]

Loi khro?

[thrilled]

I've been told that going from Chiang Mai to Pai by motorcycle is the way to go.I will need to go visit it at least one time.

[HaleySabai]

I've been told that going from Chiang Mai to Pai by motorcycle is the way to go.I will need to go visit it at least one time.

.....Yes, riding is always fun on those mountain roads...But,the stretch of road from CM to MHS border is falling apart and full of pot holes in many places. Onward from Pai to MHS the roads are very good. A bike of 250cc or up is recommended.

[Paangjang]

I've been told that going from Chiang Mai to Pai by motorcycle is the way to go.I will need to go visit it at least one time.

.....Yes, riding is always fun on those mountain roads...But,the stretch of road from CM to MHS border is falling apart and full of pot holes in many places. Onward from Pai to MHS the roads are very good. A bike of 250cc or up is recommended.

Forget the 250cc. Minor pot holes in bitumen road. I did it a couple of years ago on a click 110. Wasn't an issue. Done much much tougher rides than that in Columbia, Bolivia etc blah blah blah on small bikes. It's an easy ride on any size scooter or bicycle for that matter.

[Johpa]

Crikey, you have Mae Salong, Khun Yuam , and MHS itself. North you have Thaton or, closer, Chiang Dao. East you have all of Nan Province.

[mikemac]

My wife and I like to go to Mae Salong, nice and quiet in the off season and quite cheap. Very scenic with lots to see and do. We always buy tea for the family in Surin, they love it.

We used to stay in town but have since found a good resort about 5-10 minutes drive to the north, about 1,000 baht a night with room service etc.

And it's only a couple of hours drive from Chiang Mai.

Head in any direction from CM and you will find good places to kick back. Good luck.

[cloudhopper]

I think that you will have to go to a neighboring country to find a place like the old Pai...............

Bring back the beatnik era of the late 60's and the hippies of the 70's they blew soul into Pai.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai,_Thailand

There is still a very vibrant scene here, it has just diffused out into the greater valley and is harder to find as a casual visitor.

But not what the OP is looking for so I would add Wat Chan to the excellent suggestions already posted.

[CMHomeboy78]

I think that you will have to go to a neighboring country to find a place like the old Pai...............

Bring back the beatnik era of the late 60's and the hippies of the 70's they blew soul into Pai.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pai,_Thailand

Excuse me for bluntly contradicting you, but there is no record anywhere - to my knowledge - of beatniks or hippies being involved in the history or development of Pai.

My own experience of Pai is slight, and only consists of a lunch stop on a solo motorcycle trip from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son in 1982. At that time it was a typical, and unremarkable, Thai/Shan village without a beatnik or hippie in sight. I was the only farang in town, eating my noodle soup w/ monkeyballs in a local shophouse - no restaurants then.

Backpackers later transformed Pai, not beatniks and hippies.

Thank you very much for the Wikipedia link to Thomas Kasper's excellent essay on the history of Pai. It was informative, concise, and well-written. I have saved it as a reference.

Kasper is the type of amateur historian that should be more numerous here. You would think that the recent dramatic increase in the number of resident farangs in and around Chiang Mai would produce a certain percentage who took an intelligent interest in the history and culture of Lanna Thai and the Kohn Muang.

Maybe they are out there, but laying low, and will emerge in the not too distant future.

In reply to the topic of where to find an alternative to Pai, perhaps Ban Sop Guy on the Mae Taeng would answer. It is about two hours from Chiang Mai and is a small town with some restaurants and bungalows in a beautiful location. Many activities and a good place to take children. When my daughters were growing up we went often. Good swimming in some parts of the river with deep pools and boulders to dive off. Rafting, hiking to hilltribe villages, and the pleasure of being in a place where progress and development haven't arrived in full force... not yet anyway.

[LivinLOS]

In reply to the topic of where to find an alternative to Pai, perhaps Ban Sop Guy on the Mae Taeng would answer. It is about two hours from Chiang Mai and is a small town with some restaurants and bungalows in a beautiful location. Many activities and a good place to take children. When my daughters were growing up we went often. Good swimming in some parts of the river with deep pools and boulders to dive off. Rafting, hiking to hilltribe villages, and the pleasure of being in a place where progress and development haven't arrived in full force... not yet anyway.

I tried a few variations on spelling of this with google and google maps.. Didnt get any hits..

Any GPS or more detailed location info ??

[CMHomeboy78]

In reply to the topic of where to find an alternative to Pai, perhaps Ban Sop Guy on the Mae Taeng would answer. It is about two hours from Chiang Mai and is a small town with some restaurants and bungalows in a beautiful location. Many activities and a good place to take children. When my daughters were growing up we went often. Good swimming in some parts of the river with deep pools and boulders to dive off. Rafting, hiking to hilltribe villages, and the pleasure of being in a place where progress and development haven't arrived in full force... not yet anyway.

I tried a few variations on spelling of this with google and google maps.. Didnt get any hits..

Any GPS or more detailed location info ??

The Mae Taeng River from Ban Sop Guy up to Wiang Haeng is a beautiful area, and largely unspoiled.

Ban Sop Guy is easy to get to. Head north out of Chiang Mai on the road to Chiang Dao [107] past the turnoff to Pai/Mae Hong Son, then turn left on the dirt road that follows the Mae Taeng in a northwesterly direction. From the main road it's only about an hour.

Other places upriver are more difficult to reach, many of the hilltribe villages are only accessible by trails or very bad roads.

There is a paved road to Wiang Haeng, but that far up, the river is much smaller and the area is less scenic, although still quite nice.

What we used to do was use Ban Sop Guy as a base and trek out to other places from there.

Happy trails!

[donniereadit]

You can still find nice quiet bungalows in Pai walking distance to town on that hill across the river. In the rice patties. Nice and quiet, not many people around, good view.

Just hike around the countryside and go into town for food. No real reason to linger in town any longer then you have to.

Do & see attractions are by definition crowded touristy places. Same with pools and lakes. Noisy kids and people all around them. Maybe risk going to the hot springs up there during the off season. Your better off just wandering around and learning to enjoy being there.

Edited January 11, 2014 by donniereadit

[femi fan]

It's amazing how many people 'hear' that pai is 'ruined' or no longer any good! There can be few places like it, and it remains a superlative place to spend time.

Instead of looking for other places, why not try going to pai yourself to see if it has been 'ruined' as you've heard? Hire a bicycle or motorbike and go riding around the hills and valley. Then decide for yourself if it's been ruined. Pai remains a natural wonderland and is filled with creative souls getting the most out of life.

For chiang mai people it remains a top quality getaway from town for a few nights when one has the time.

[Gonsalviz]

I've been told that going from Chiang Mai to Pai by motorcycle is the way to go.I will need to go visit it at least one time.

If you are going on the road because you like twisties, You might consider going west on 108 and up the other side. The road going in from the east is horrible.

Just there about 3 weeks ago.

[4x4 CNX]

Try Mae Sariang

[VillageIdiot]

It's amazing how many people 'hear' that pai is 'ruined' or no longer any good! There can be few places like it, and it remains a superlative place to spend time.

Instead of looking for other places, why not try going to pai yourself to see if it has been 'ruined' as you've heard? Hire a bicycle or motorbike and go riding around the hills and valley. Then decide for yourself if it's been ruined. Pai remains a natural wonderland and is filled with creative souls getting the most out of life.

For chiang mai people it remains a top quality getaway from town for a few nights when one has the time.

Whew! What a relief.

Thanks for the reassurance that Pai hasn't lost its sa-nay.

Reports that farangs had come down on it like a plague of locusts were apparently exaggerated .

Rumours of a shopping mall being built there also have been denied, causing widespread disappointment among expats all over Northern Thailand.