Going to Pai - drive or fly?

[larrygingras]

I plan to go to Pai for this weekend with my wife and our child (1 yr old). Just found that there is 2 daily flights by Kan Air from Chiang Mai to Pai.

 

So now cannot decide drive there by our car or use these flights. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages. I like driving by mountains roads but I also like flying by small planes, it should be very beautiful by this route. By plane it also much faster (25 mins or around 1 hr counting with registration etc. vs 3 hrs by car according to google maps) but without own car it could be much more difficult to go sightseeing in Pai, I doubt they have car rental service (or do they?), especially with infant. Also I cannot book these flights online even using Kan Air website. It shows no available tickets for this route on any day. But the routes themselves are shown both on Kan Air website and on Chiang Mai airport website in flight status page.

 

So waiting for your opinions and suggestions...

[chiang mai]

Both good options, drive this time, fly next time, it's a toss up which is better.

[flare]

Does your kid get carsick?  Unless you've previously taken him/her on a long, twisty drive, you might not know, but if you go by car, you'll surely find out (I learned that lesson the hard way- both the kid and the wife hurled in the mountains).;)

[colinneil]

Fly or drive to Pai?

No brainer FLY,  i used to drive that route, roads are a nightmare.

[chiang mai]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Fly or drive to Pai?

No brainer FLY,  i used to drive that route, roads are a nightmare.

I don't know when the last time was you took that road but it was resurfaced over a year ago. It may be a very winding road with lots of twists and turns but the surface is immaculate.  Plus it's only about one and a half hours on the very windy stretch, easily dooable for most decent drivers. (That's driving the 1095 from West of the intersection of the 3009 to Pai)

Edited February 11, 2017 by chiang mai

[cloudhopper]

5 minutes ago, chiang mai said:

I don't know when the last time was you took that road but it was resurfaced over a year ago. It may be a very winding road with lots of twists and turns but the surface is immaculate.  Plus it's only about one and a half hours on the very windy stretch, easily dooable for most decent drivers. (That's driving the 1095 from the intersection of the 3009 to Pai)

That stretch always seems to take 2 hours for me. The surface is slumping again in a few areas just up the mountain from Pai but otherwise the new road has made it much nicer. Flying is safer and you can easily rent a scooter to get around. The place seems busy now but not heaving like in past years; enjoy all the flowering trees before the smoke becomes unbearable.

[chiang mai]

Just now, cloudhopper said:

That stretch always seems to take 2 hours for me. The surface is slumping again in a few areas just up the mountain from Pai but otherwise the new road has made it much nicer. Flying is safer and you can easily rent a scooter to get around. The place seems busy now but not heaving like in past years; enjoy all the flowering trees before the smoke becomes unbearable.

One and a half to two hours, it depends where we put the start line, either way it's not a real longhaul.

 

 

[cloudhopper]

Just now, chiang mai said:

One and a half to two hours, it depends where we put the start line, either way it's not a real longhaul.

 

 

It sure seems like it though...

[Formaleins]

What is the cost to fly?

[chiang mai]

2 minutes ago, cloudhopper said:

It sure seems like it though...

I don't know how much confidence I have in small regional airlines, they make me nervous, especially in Thailand!

 

The other point to make regarding driving is there's a big difference between high and low season. Last time we went was in low low season and we had the place and the road to ourselves. Granted we did see about ten vehicles on that stretch and one of them did end up on its side in a ditch so statistically that's not great, but the views were great!

[Ace of Pop]

The Drives the best part Nothing much wort seeing Realy .


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[colinneil]

chiang mai i will say black, interesting to see what you say.

[chiang mai]

7 minutes ago, colinneil said:

chiang mai i will say black, interesting to see what you say.

Puce with a hint of chartreuse around the edge.

 

Seriously, I didn't know if you knew the road had been resurfaced, I found it to be an intense but pleasurable experience, especially the views. One mans meat as they say.

[sfokevin]

I have driven it many times... I bit windy but ok... if you drive make a stop here...

 

Huai Nam Dang National Park
https://goo.gl/maps/3AjkHVS67S92

 

As for flying as you alluded to once there you would need to get to your hotel and would like to drive around the area... better to come in you own car for the convience of have your own vehicle once there ;-)

[uptheos]

1 hour ago, Ace of Pop said:

The Drives the best part Nothing much wort seeing Realy .


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Absolutely, flying to Pai is ridiculous, you miss a lot of great scenery.

[cmtg1]

Absolutely, flying to Pai is ridiculous, you miss a lot of great scenery.

and you would also miss the pleasure of vomiting as well


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[uptheos]

Just now, cmtg1 said:

and you would also miss the pleasure of vomiting as well


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I didn't want to put the guy off. He can stop at every 10th bend.

[fxe1200]

Let your wife and kid fly. Rent yourself a 250 Kawa or similar and ride to Pai. Great experience! don't forget your knee pads.

[SunsetT]

5 hours ago, flare said:

Does your kid get carsick?  Unless you've previously taken him/her on a long, twisty drive, you might not know, but if you go by car, you'll surely find out (I learned that lesson the hard way- both the kid and the wife hurled in the mountains).;)

My Thai missus too .......She threw up 2 days running on these roads. I loved the drive though.

 

You can rent motorbikes in Pai, but Im not sure about cars.

 

[TheFishman1]

Drive nice way to see everything and once there you have your car TIT

[chuang]

Have been there many of times by air and by road, drove there, both are interesting. But be known if weather is bad they cancel the flights. Nice time to go now should be cooling. 

[Henryford]

I just drove it a few weeks ago, not that bad. The BIG advantage is you have the car when you get to Pai to look around. You want to take your wife and child on a motorbike !!

[muskoka]

I flew there a couple years ago. Nice scenery from the air. Tried to rent a motorbike at a couple places, they wanted to hold my passport, wd not accept a photo copy - NO WAY!

[Sandy Freckle]

5 hours ago, SunsetT said:

My Thai missus too .......She threw up 2 days running on these roads. I loved the drive though.

 

You can rent motorbikes in Pai, but Im not sure about cars.

 

Travel with a bucket ?

[Dipterocarp]

8 hours ago, muskoka said:

I flew there a couple years ago. Nice scenery from the air. Tried to rent a motorbike at a couple places, they wanted to hold my passport, wd not accept a photo copy - NO WAY!

Good on ya holding a passport is ILLEGAL. It is the property of your country and only for official uses.

[Mangkhut]

17 hours ago, colinneil said:

Fly or drive to Pai?

No brainer FLY,  i used to drive that route, roads are a nightmare.

Nightmare?

 

The roads in northern Thailand and especially the socalled Mae Hong Son loop which the Chiang Mai - Pai is a part of is considered world class roads. Its curvy, full of mountains, valleys, rivers etc and with many interesting spots and extremely scenic.

With your own vehicle you can go when you want and stop when and where you want. And you could do the whole Mae Hong Son loop as well, Doi Inthanon, Mae Sariang etc etc.

 

Faster to fly? You need to get to the airport from somewhere in Chiang Mai, it might take 15-20 minutes, you have to be at the airport 1,5-2 hours before the flight to go through security and check in procedures. Then fly, wait for luggage, transport into Pai. Faster? Dont think so at all....

 

The only thing that could be better with flying is as somebody mentioned - if the baby get motion sickness. Thats not a good thing to let your baby go through. 

So thats a healthy advice from others above here...

[Andrew Dwyer]

Nightmare?
 
The roads in northern Thailand and especially the socalled Mae Hong Son loop which the Chiang Mai - Pai is a part of is considered world class roads. Its curvy, full of mountains, valleys, rivers etc and with many interesting spots and extremely scenic.
With your own vehicle you can go when you want and stop when and where you want. And you could do the whole Mae Hong Son loop as well, Doi Inthanon, Mae Sariang etc etc.
 
Faster to fly? You need to get to the airport from somewhere in Chiang Mai, it might take 15-20 minutes, you have to be at the airport 1,5-2 hours before the flight to go through security and check in procedures. Then fly, wait for luggage, transport into Pai. Faster? Dont think so at all....
 
The only thing that could be better with flying is as somebody mentioned - if the baby get motion sickness. Thats not a good thing to let your baby go through. 
So thats a healthy advice from others above here...

I drove it in December, loved it, beautiful scenery and if you cut down the speed 10/20 kmh then the car sickness will be reduced.

Plus, you have to pay car rental in Pai if you fly, or if no car rental ?... well do you really want to travel around sightseeing with a baby on a scooter ??
I thought not !!


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[Thailand]

Drive

[SunsetT]

22 hours ago, Sandy Freckle said:

Travel with a bucket ?

At 48 she's losing her sex appeal a bit now but I think I'd still prefer her to a bucket.

[Sandy Freckle]

1 hour ago, SunsetT said:

At 48 she's losing her sex appeal a bit now but I think I'd still prefer her to a bucket.

Both are useful..., some wags might say "at the same time"..., not me though.