Some friends and i are going up to the village of Pai up near the border, about 4 hour bus trip from chaing mai , can anyone give me a report on the place, i heared it just full of the dreadlock backpaker crowd,,,true or false???
Thanks Guys
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Pai
Started by eyes, 2009-11-20 13:23
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37 replies to this topic
#2
Ulysses G.
Unwanted Member Posted 2009-11-20 13:54:19
True as of 5 years ago. Now it is mostly Bangkok Thais.
#3
ToonBroon
Advanced Member Posted 2009-11-20 14:35:08
UG is right, weekends especially can be very congested with Thai visitors. It's never been a place that has done anything for me but it certainly has a cultish type attraction for many. And now with an influx of up-market accomodation the typical tourist now reflects a more affluent backpacking breed.
#4
Sparkles
Super Member Posted 2009-11-20 15:22:00
UG is right, weekends especially can be very congested with Thai visitors. It's never been a place that has done anything for me but it certainly has a cultish type attraction for many. And now with an influx of up-market accomodation the typical tourist now reflects a more affluent backpacking breed. #5
cloudhopper
Unstable Member Provocateur Posted 2009-11-20 16:11:55
Or you can fly up from CM in 20 minutes.
#6
anonymouse
Super Member Posted 2009-11-20 19:19:10
There was a long topic about Pai about two weeks back, do a search and it should give you all the info you need
#7
jackr
Titanium Member Posted 2009-11-20 19:29:06
Nowhere near the border, op, unless of course you're looking down on it from Gogggle Earth
 Pai's alright but gone a bit commercial of late, with its 7-11s, traffic lights and actual painted lines where bikes can park. Still quite laid-back, however, but hordes of Thai/Chinese tourists on weekends which easily outweigh the hippie type... which of course isn't entirely a bad thing. If you like hills, elephant rides, cafes, reggae bars and street markets, you'll enjoy it, but consider hiring some bikes and having a ride out there as opposed to busing it as it's a fine road. Have a read of the Wikitravel page on Pai for further insight. #8
zzaa09
curmudgeonly misanthropic nonpat Posted 2009-11-20 19:37:25
True as of 5 years ago. Now it is mostly Bangkok Thais. As a romantic, I find the development in the immediate Pai proper to be quite disgusting. This is a trend that isn't a passing fancy - it's quite permanent. And all the sickly elements that are associated. 
#9
getgoin
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-20 23:53:45
Pai? Why? It's overpriced and certainly no more picturesque than a drive up to Mae Sai. The old hype was drug related. Somewhere you could go to get stoned and hang out and because it was the cash crop the locals let it happen. Similar to smoking opium while out on a trek or going to the full moon parties. I'm guessing that old habits die hard and that scene is still around but a little more subdued.
After the big flood things changed and the development started and the influx of Bangkok travelers last year sealed its fate. Want a photo op flashing the peace sign and a tiny overpriced room in a badly kept resort or guest house? Go to Pai. Apologizing in advance to any Pai residents or Pai lovers. #10
jackr
Titanium Member Posted 2009-11-21 09:38:14
It's overpriced and certainly no more picturesque than a drive up to Mae Sai. #11
eyes
Member Posted 2009-11-21 16:16:59
Thanks everyone it sounds like it could be ok, will make change from the Pattaya scene where i usualy stay..
One more question, will a lonely western man be able to mind a friendly thai lady to keep him company for the night at any of the night spots around town????? Thanks #12
getgoin
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-21 16:55:22
It's overpriced and certainly no more picturesque than a drive up to Mae Sai. The scenic part of the Pai road going up into the hills and coming down to the Pai valley is very nice. A better drive is the ride to the top of the mountain in Mae Taeng to where The Raming Tea Company is. There are some bungalows up there and a small village. Sorry, I don't know the name of the mountain. There are dozens of senic destinations and dozens of pisturesque drives around Northern Thailand. While the drive to Pai might be nice, particularly if stopping at the gyser, it is far from unique and does surely not reccomend Pai as a destination. Stay the night and then roll that bike right out of town. #13
femi fan
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-21 17:44:52
Pai? Why? It's overpriced and certainly no more picturesque than a drive up to Mae Sai. The old hype was drug related. Somewhere you could go to get stoned and hang out and because it was the cash crop the locals let it happen. Similar to smoking opium while out on a trek or going to the full moon parties. I'm guessing that old habits die hard and that scene is still around but a little more subdued. After the big flood things changed and the development started and the influx of Bangkok travelers last year sealed its fate. Want a photo op flashing the peace sign and a tiny overpriced room in a badly kept resort or guest house? Go to Pai. Apologizing in advance to any Pai residents or Pai lovers. Apology accepted! And reaction to be given... Firstly, for folk who like cycling and walking and fresh air and getting out and about in nature, i know of hardly any places better than pai. It scores right near the top of the charts! It's a place where people can escape the mad world, yes, even here in chiang mai, for a few days or weeks. Forget about the town, if you want nightlife, then perhaps pai is lower down on that score. But for the sheer glory of nature, pai is glorious. And there's plenty of choices of great places to stay when one gets one, two kms out of the middle. Laws aside, i can't see how any claim can be made that a person smoking a spliff is in anyway an inferior person to one who drinks beer or whisky. For a start it enhances the appreciation for the nature around, whereas beer will shut that down! A drive up to mae sai? Full of mad drivers and stress! If you mean taking the side trips, then lots of great nature and beauty to be in. But not the same experience as pai, and lucky because non-pai lovers have somewhere else to go! I pay about 500 or 600 baht a night for excellent bungalows surrounded by the pai nature, and can eat and drink most healthily. I won't go on, the place is a topspot in the world. #14
femi fan
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-21 17:50:46
Thanks everyone it sounds like it could be ok, will make change from the Pattaya scene where i usualy stay.. One more question, will a lonely western man be able to mind a friendly thai lady to keep him company for the night at any of the night spots around town????? Thanks You just said you wanted a change from pattaya! A very very different part of thailand compared to your seaside resort. You certainly won't be worrying about being overpriced! Try and get out for some walks. Go over the bridge past the school, then when you get to a sign to go up a hill to thai farmers guest house, go up there and just keep walking! If you go four or five hours you come to a waterfall, but i've never managed that far yet. Another tip, depending on what you want is to get a place in town for the first night, then take the time to find another place out of town in the valley or overlooking it. If you did want to have company there, perhaps you'd be best finding that company in chiang mai... #15
Ulysses G.
Unwanted Member Posted 2009-11-21 18:09:26
A very very different part of thailand compared to your seaside resort. You certainly won't be worrying about being overpriced! Actually, you get much more for your money in Pattya - a standard hotel room with cable TV, a safe, a swimming pool and 24 hour room service for about 500 baht. Say what you want about Pattaya, it is probably the most inexpensive tourist destination in Thailand for what you get.
#16
getgoin
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-21 21:39:18
"Firstly, for folk who like cycling and walking and fresh air and getting out and about in nature, I know of hardly any places better than Pai. It scores right near the top of the charts!"
You should have said "high" on the charts! Thank you femi fan for making my point. Why go to an overpriced Bangkok tourist trap to get out and about in nature? Because the nature that you are looking for is, "...a person smoking a spliff... it enhances the appreciation for the nature around..." Sorry, again for taking your quote out of context but just wanted to get to your real point and the reason why Pai was and is so popular with foreigners. I will agree with the enhancement statement. The obvious thing is that most of the foreigners who ask about Pai on this forum are looking for just that. They ask, "Can I see the real Thailand and get out hiking and biking," when they really want to know, "Is it true that I can score a joint, ect?" Is Pai "high" on the charts? Two out of three foreigners think so. It is popular with the Bangkok Thais for different reasons. To them Pai represents the country (simple) life that they don't have. Some camp, some cram into the numerous small hotel and bungalow rooms that are purposely made tiny so that too many can not sleep inside. They eat on the street and hover around anything that represents a photo opportunity. It is like a cartoon caricature with them pointing the peace sign to a sign, taking a photo, that says, "Can you really believe that I am in Pai." Some go as far as buying shirts that say, "I (heart) Pai." Others get married there. Not that any of this is inherently wrong or bad. There are much better places to get out and about in Northern Thailand. But in case there is not and I am wrong, and I am wrong often enough, take a hit and tap your heels together 3 times and repeat, "There is no place like Pai. There is no place like Pai. There is no place like Pai." #17
Ulysses G.
Unwanted Member Posted 2009-11-21 22:02:13
It is popular with the Bangkok Thais for different reasons. The main reason seems to be a popular Thai movie that took place in Pai. Edited by Ulysses G., 2009-11-21 22:02:48. #18
phuketrichard
Weary traveller Posted 2009-11-22 10:04:42
went thur Pai with the intention on staying one night, after an hour drive around town left>>> its no where near the border and there is nothing to do but see backbackers buying overpriced goods and talking about where they have been.
Head to Soppang or better Mae Hong Son. #19
femi fan
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-22 10:12:05
A very very different part of thailand compared to your seaside resort. You certainly won't be worrying about being overpriced! Actually, you get much more for your money in Pattya - a standard hotel room with cable TV, a safe, a swimming pool and 24 hour room service for about 500 baht. Say what you want about Pattaya, it is probably the most inexpensive tourist destination in Thailand for what you get. Well, apart from phuket, pattaya had the most expensive breakfasts i've eaten in thailand. General dining out was expensive too. Beers very expensive too. Maybe the rooms are good value, but that seems to be all. And if one is going to pai and wanting a pool, tv, room service, standard concrete hotel room, then DON'T GO TO PAI!! For about 500 baht, i get a top-notch wooden bungalow in beautiful natural garden with the sound of fountains and streams, with my own hammock, and all the sounds of nature. The food and drinks on offer are more than reasonably priced, and most healthy fare it is too. I can then walk along a pretty empty road into town looking at some glorious views and find some cheaply priced lunch followed by a cheap massage, and so on. Of all the places i've been to in thailand, pattaya is only beaten by phuket for expensiveness. I guess samui is catching up fast. But granted, if you just want to be in a standard hotel room, by the pool, and not eating or drinking anything on your holiday, then i can't argue with you! #20
femi fan
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-22 10:18:52
went thur Pai with the intention on staying one night, after an hour drive around town left>>> its no where near the border and there is nothing to do but see backbackers buying overpriced goods and talking about where they have been. Head to Soppang or better Mae Hong Son. So, driving around the town for one hour led you to the discovery that there is nothing to do? There is tonnes to do... hiking trekking camping climbing to waterfalls cycling pai canyon hotsprings massage rafting - bamboo or white water elephant riding learning to cook sipping coffee or tea right by the river reading relaxing swimming fishing and so it goes on. But being inside a car driving round a tiny town for one hour probably would not have exposed you to much i guess. #21
femi fan
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-22 10:26:21
Sorry, again for taking your quote out of context but just wanted to get to your real point and the reason why Pai was and is so popular with foreigners. I will agree with the enhancement statement. The obvious thing is that most of the foreigners who ask about Pai on this forum are looking for just that. They ask, "Can I see the real Thailand and get out hiking and biking," when they really want to know, "Is it true that I can score a joint, ect?" Is Pai "high" on the charts? Two out of three foreigners think so. It is popular with the Bangkok Thais for different reasons. To them Pai represents the country (simple) life that they don't have. Some camp, some cram into the numerous small hotel and bungalow rooms that are purposely made tiny so that too many can not sleep inside. They eat on the street and hover around anything that represents a photo opportunity. It is like a cartoon caricature with them pointing the peace sign to a sign, taking a photo, that says, "Can you really believe that I am in Pai." Some go as far as buying shirts that say, "I (heart) Pai." Others get married there. Not that any of this is inherently wrong or bad. There are much better places to get out and about in Northern Thailand. But in case there is not and I am wrong, and I am wrong often enough, take a hit and tap your heels together 3 times and repeat, "There is no place like Pai. There is no place like Pai. There is no place like Pai." Well mate, i was speaking through my own experiences, and describing what i know pai to be like. Whereas you seem to be speaking for a whole heap of other people. I only mentioned dope because there was the suspicion that smokers were being seen in some way as being a nuisance or inferior, as if one's holiday may be ruined if god forbid some farang were smoking pot. Despite the fact that it's most unlikely one can see that happening these days. I wonder on what basis you can claim that most foreigners are on this forum looking to score dope? All the people i know who go there do so for things like fishing, cycling, and being in the nature that surrounds pai. I meet others who are tourists/travelers, and they all seem to enjoy their time there. Your post comes across as a tad cynical. Now then, could you let us know some examples of the much better places in northern thailand? I'd like to go to them and compare them to pai. But meanwhile, for those who seek nature, healthy living and eating, exercise, pai remains a glorious place to go to. And i'm not speaking any facts here, just my own subjective experience. #22
Ulysses G.
Unwanted Member Posted 2009-11-22 11:28:12
Well, apart from phuket, pattaya had the most expensive breakfasts i've eaten in thailand. General dining out was expensive too. Beers very expensive too. Maybe the rooms are good value, but that seems to be all. There are lots of HUGE All-You-Can-Eat-For-100-baht buffet breakfasts in Pattaya and plenty of reasonable places like the Kiss restaurant on 2nd road. Beer is the same price as Chiang Mai in most of the outdoor bars and restaurants and so is most farang food and Thai food if you know your way around. Don't bother with the Hard Rock Cafe for example. There are more very expensive places in Pattaya than Chiang Mai, but they are easy to avoid if they don't fit your budget. Other - more exotic - services there vary according to the place, but IMHO you get a lot more for your money in Pattya - even in very expensive places - and you can go very cheap on those if you are street wise. I agree with you on Phuket, by the way! #23
femi fan
Senior Member Posted 2009-11-22 11:54:59
Fair call.
I have to say that the two trips i took a few years ago weren't very price-conscious ones. I would also add that i believe golf is far cheaper than here in chiang mai. But comparing pai and pattaya might be akin to comparing the devil and god himself, but not in that order... #24
WinnieTheKhwai
Incredible Member Posted 2009-11-22 20:48:42
I like both Pattaya AND Pai. And I like them actually for the same reason: there's no other place like it in Thailand.
They serve a similar purpose for me; when in Bangkok and in need of a dose of Bohemian insanity, Pataya is less than 2 hours away. In Chiang Mai when wanting to get away from it all and wanting nothing other than being away from the usual BS, sit in a bamboo shack staring at mountains and a river and drink until the sun comes up then Pai is the ticket. Both offer somewhat of an alternative lifestyle that I find appealing for a day or two, and then return to the Real World. #25
Ulysses G.
Unwanted Member Posted 2009-11-22 20:53:11
Fair call. I have to say that the two trips i took a few years ago weren't very price-conscious ones. I would also add that i believe golf is far cheaper than here in chiang mai. But comparing pai and pattaya might be akin to comparing the devil and god himself, but not in that order... |
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