Pai , THAILAND

About Pai - Thailand

The sleepy hippie town of Pai is situated 135kms northwest of Chiang Mai, roughly halfway to Mae Hong Son. As you enter the Pai area, the mountain road makes a meandering decline into a large green valley of rice paddies and fruit groves. Mountains shelter the town, which is named after the river that runs through it. Pai is just a tiny place with four main roads, but offers a rich bohemian atmosphere where you can collect your thoughts and commune with nature. There are plenty of charming guesthouses, relaxed restaurants and bars catering to both Western and Thai palates, and local trekking companies and handcraft shops.

A decade ago, Pai was virtually unknown and it has today developed into a thriving, multi-cultural town. Fortunately, it has retained its down-to-earth feel and the prices here are still cheap, making it especially popular with backpackers and free-spirits who sometimes stay here for months.

Pai is a small community, embraced by rolling mountains and enveloped in natural setting that is fresh and beautiful. The atmosphere is clean, pure, quiet and warmly welcoming. The different ethnic groups, religious beliefs and languages of the people of plains and the people of the mountains have blended together here to form a unique set of cultural traditions.

The citizens of Pai live their lives with a spirit of generosity and a sense of community, always ready to give someone a helping hand. Yet at the same time, the remoteness of the region makes travel to and from Pai difficult. Many people would rather not come and risk their chances in such an isolated place. However, many other people entrust their luck to fate in this very spot, and others dream of having just one chance in their lives to come and experience the summit of the north of Thailand.

Pai can be found to the northwest of Bangkok, 1035 kilometers along the main roads, at19.15 degrees - 19.30 degrees latitude north and at 98.15 degrees – 98.30 degrees longitude east. AT its lowest, Pai is 508 meters from sea level. The highest summit, Doi Jik Jong, which can be seen from Pai, is 1,972 meters from sea level. You can climb this mountain and experience the tropical forest and virgin jungle of the area.