Pai (, Burmese: ပါယ်) is a small town in northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son Province, near the Myanmar border, about 146 km (91 mi) northwest of Chiang Mai on the northern route to Mae Hong Son. It lies on the Pai River. The town has thesaban tambon status and covers parts of the tambon Wiang Tai of Pai District. As of 2006, it had a population of 2,284.
Access
Pai is on Route 1095, which connects Mae Hong Son with Chiang Mai. Pai Airport, which had been decommissioned for 20 years, was paved and refurbished in 2005-2006, and on 1 February 2007, Siam General Aviation began daily passenger service to and from Chiang Mai International Airport which lasted until 2014. Later, until 2017, Kan Air operated the same route using a Cessna 208. Both airlines went out of business.
Tourism and development
Pai was once a quiet market village inhabited by Shan people (ethnic Tai) whose culture is influenced by Myanmar (formerly called Burma). Today, Pai primarily thrives on tourism. Mostly a hippie destination, it is filled with hot springs. Known among backpackers for its relaxed atmosphere, the town is full of cheap guesthouses, souvenir shops, and restaurants. In the environs 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 27-39 °C (80–102 °F). 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, some 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 Wednesday Market which brings large crowds of local villagers and tribal people from all around the Pai Valley. Tourists are also attracted by Shandicun village (Chinese village) located in the outskirts of the town.
Recently Pai has appeared on the Thailand tourist map and has received major infrastructure upgrades including an airport with several daily flights, nine (9) 7-Elevens, several small- to medium-size luxury resorts, totaling more than 350 accommodation properties, several live music clubs, beer bars, and three sets of traffic lights. It has led to an influx of business investment and land speculation by both farang (Western Caucasians) and big city Thais. While some hail these 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. Prior to 2006, foreign tourists predominated, but now Thai tourists are catching up in numbers, particularly after Pai was featured in two popular Thai-made romantic movies, The Letter: Jod Mai Rak (, 2004) and Ruk Jung (, 2006). During high season, tourist numbers swell to the point that Pai experiences traffic jams, as well as shortages of electricity, water, and petrol.
Pai hosts music festivals as well as staging an international Enduro championship. Pai Canyon (Kong Lan) is nearby.
Attraction sites
Some of the top attraction sites in Pai, Thailand include:
Pai Canyon: This attraction site offers a scenic view of the surrounding countryside and is a great spot for hiking. Tham Lot cave: This is a 1.6-kilometer cave system with Nam Lang River flowing through it and has rock formations like stalactites and stalagmites. Pai Memorial Bridge: This historic bridge was built by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Tha Pai Hot Springs Pam Bok Waterfall Pai Land Split Wat Phra That Mae Yen
History
The area of modern-day Pai has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years. About 2,000 years ago, the Lua (or Lawa) Tribe was the dominant ethnic group over all of the area of today's northern Thailand, and a few of their descendants still live in villages only about 20 km away from Pai.