Pai

Pai is a small town lies along the Pai River in northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province, near the Myanmar border, about 50 miles/80 km north of Chiang Mai.

During the 1970s it was probably a fairly dangerous spot, being a Kuomintang-controlled area and an important opium transit centre. In the 1980s the area was cleaned up and a sealed road to Pai was built.

Pai was relatively easily accessed from the existing tourism centre of Chiang Mai.

Pai is a predominantly tourism-oriented town, offering a relaxed atmosphere with a broad tourist and backpacker scene. Fresh air, green mountains, friendly people is what Pai has to offer.

Unlike Chiang Mai and to a lesser extent Mae Hong Son, Pai doesn't have much to see in the traditional sense of sightseeing. This place is well-known among backpackers for its relaxed atmosphere with 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.

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