Living the Pai life,Thailand

Pai is a small laid-back valley between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son town, surrounded by steep mountains. The place is becoming popular with western travelers. This is the starting place for great white water rafting expeditions down the Pai river. Pai is a small town in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border, north of Chiang Mai on the northern route to Mae Hong Son. It lies along the Pai River. The town has thesaban tambon status and covers parts of the tambon Wiang Tai of Pai district.

Pai is located on Thai highway 1095, which connects Mae Hong Son with Chiang Mai. The Pai Airport, which had been decommissioned for 20 years, was paved and refurbished in 2005-6, and on 1 February 2007, Siam General Aviation began daily passenger service to and from Chiang Mai International Airport.

Pai was once a quiet market village inhabited by Shan people (ethnic Tai whose culture is influenced by Burma; see the History section below), but nowadays Pai primarily thrives on tourism. Well-known among backpackers for its relaxed atmosphere, the town is full of cheap guesthouses, souvenir shops and restaurants. In the proximity of the town are spas and elephant camps. Further outside of town, there are several waterfalls and a number of natural hot springs varying in temperature from 80 to 200 degrees Celsius. Some resorts tap the hot springs and feed hot water into private bungalows and public pools. As Pai lies at the foot of the mountains, many tourists use it as a base for trekking and visiting hill tribes like Karen, Hmong, Lisu and Lahu. Another notable attraction is the town's excellent Wednesday Market which brings large and colorful crowds of local villagers and tribal people from all around the Pai Valley.

Recently Pai has appeared on the Thailand tourist map and has received major infrastructure upgrades including an airport with several daily flights and also several small- to medium-size luxury resorts (adding to the more than 118 guesthouses and restaurants which existed as of June 2007), a couple of live music clubs, beer bars and two sets of traffic lights. This has done little to dampen the small and peaceful spirit of the town out of season. However, it has led to a recent influx of business investment and land speculation by both farang (non-Asian foreigners) and big city Thais. While some hail these sweeping changes as a new age of prosperity for Pai, others point to the loss of Pai's traditional customs and culture. In the tourist high season of November through March there are large numbers of tourists.

By the way we would like you to know Mae Hong Son the actually Pai located in this province. Mae Hong Son has long been isolated from the outside world. Virtually covered with mist throughout the year, the name refers to the fact that its terrain is highly suitable for the training of elephants. Former governors of Chiang Mai used to organise the rounding up of wild elephants which were then trained before being sent to the capital for work. Today, Mae Hong Son is one of the "dream destinations" for visitors who are attracted by its cultural and natural wonders. Nestled in a deep valley hemmed in by high mountain ranges

Mae Hong Son province is located in the remote West of Northern Thailand. The province borders Myanmar's Shan state to the North and all along the west. The province's total area is some 12,681 square kilometers, mostly mountainous and forest-covered, with a few flat valleys in which villages have developed. Rice paddies are cultivated in every valley. Mae Hong Son is administratively divided in to 7 districts: Mae Hong Son town (in Thai = Amphoe Muang), Mae Sariang, Mae La Noi, Sop Moei, Khun Yuam, Pai and Pang Ma Pha (Soppong).

From Chiang Mai by road it is a full day's drive (7 hours - 280 km), on winding and scenic mountain road, through the Pai and Soppong (Pang Ma Pha) districts. The road is probably one of the most scenic drives in Northern Thailand. Driving south of Mae Hong Son, road 108 can bring you back to Chiang Mai passing through Mae Sarieng. This section is longer with a distance of approximately 350 km. It is often called the valley of Three Mists because it seems to have mist all year long. In the raining and cold season a humid fog covers the sky most days until mid-morning, and during the dry season, the smoke from slash-and-burn farming lingers in the valley as it is surrounded by mountains.

Thai Airways flights are sometimes cancelled during the hot season on account of poor visibility due to smoke. The landing on the airport located right in town is quiet scenic, dropping down from the high surrounding mountains. 

Before the road was built access to the Mae Hong Son valley was virtually impossible, except for logging industry workers who were going to sell and trade in Chiang Mai. Nowaday there is access from the East toward Pai and South to Mae Sarieng. After completion of the airport and with three daily flights access is now easy. However the town remains little visited, and this charming small provincial capital has kept its Shan influence from the past, as can be seen in the architecture of most temples and some older houses. 

Source : thailandhotelforums.com