Good Morning PAI!!  What a good day!

Ranking as one of the most famous places in the North of Thailand, “Pai” - a small quiet district in Mae Hong Son province - is always crowded with Thai and Foreign artists and backpackers. Yes, a number of artists love to stay here, enjoy themselves drawing, painting, writing and so on. Today let us guide you through Pai and find out why this small town is so attractive and charming to many people.   

          From our first step in Pai, we can sense the beauty and the tranquillity of this town floating in the air around us. Walking along the street, what we see are many enchanting Lanna (-ancient region in the North of Thailand-) architecture, well-designed and unique buildings. Despite the growing numbers of tourists, we are happy to see that Pai people can still maintain their traditional culture and lifestyle, as well as their strong community - the peaceful society of Lanna folks and the tribes -.

          Pai is a small plain area in the midst of green forest and high mountains. The temperature here, which is about 5^◦c lower than in Mae Hong Son, makes it an ideal place for us to relax. Enjoy the comfortable cool fresh air, or try get frozen on a motorbike!

Most of the tourists at Pai have been foreign backpackers who are enchanted by the beauty of this small town. It started to get known among Thai backpackers only a few years ago. As we look around, the town is always filled with tourists walking on roads, drinking beer in shops, or even selling things on the roadside. Some of them, especially the artists, are so in love with Pai that they decided to settle here. In our next trip, we will talk with one of these people, a coffee shop owner and artist, who first traveled to Pai and then fell in love with this little town.    

          Beside the sensational scenery and unique culture, another highlight of Pai is that the tourists can enjoy different activities here, like rafting, elephant riding or experiencing local hot spring. Thus, the impressively decorated hotels are ready to welcome tourists in economical price. Don’t forget that this is the town of artists; no doubt that hotels and guesthouses are so fantastic.

          The hotels, guesthouses or restaurants in Pai are built in restricted area in order to keep the natural scenery. The land in Pai is mostly used for rice farming, so most of the guesthouses are built in the paddy field. Try sit and enjoy the breath-taking view of the rice farm from your balcony or just lie down on the roof-deck and count those sparkling stars! Since the cost of living in this town is much cheaper than in other towns, this place is always crowded with tourists all around the year, especially in winter. There is a tactic. Upon reservation, if you are informed that the hotel is full, try offering a deposit because some hotels keep rooms for walk-in guests.   

At Pai, there are many restaurants selling different kinds of food. If you are thinking about Thai food, we recommend “Krua-Ben-Ja-Rong” restaurant, which is considered the most famous Thai restaurant in this town. However, if you prefer local food, why don’t try some shops on the roadside, like noodle, typical Pai Rotee, BBQ, coffee or even beer?

The activity that we strongly recommend is rafting in Pai River. Tomorrow we will join a rafting trip including one-night camping in the forest. Don’t forget to follow our trip story! 

How to get there?

You can go to Pai district by using public bus from Chiang Mai province or Mae Hong Son province. Below here is information about the transportation service. We also have a lot of photos to show you regarding this dreaming paradise. We hope you have a good time reading our story.

Chiang Mai – Pai – Mae Hong Son Route

The bus departs Chiang Mai Arcade bus terminal five times a day

Bus: 07.00 a.m./ 09.30 a.m./ 10.30 a.m./ 12.30 p.m./ 4.00 p.m.(to Pai district only)

Van: 08.00 a.m./ 10.30 a.m.

Ticket Fee

Note:  The ticket fee and timetable are subjected to change. Please update again before traveling at

-          Arcade Bus Terminal: Tel : 053-242-664

-          Prem-Pra-Cha Transportation Company at Mae Hong Son : Tel : 053-611-318

-          Prem-Pra-Cha Transportation Company at Chiang Mai : Tel : 053-244-737, 053-304-748

Travel to Mae Hong Sorn Province by Private Car

There are 3 routes available:

1. Highway No.108: Start from Chiang Mai province, pass Hod district, Mae Sareng district to Muang district of Mae Hong Son province. It takes around 7 hours to travel along this 350 kilometers route.

Note: the roads are steep and there are 1,864 curves you will have to pass. 

2. Highway No.1095: Start from Chiang Mai province, pass Mae Taeng district, Pai district to Muang district of Mae Hong Son province. This 245 kilometers route takes around 5 hours.

Note: the roads are very steep.

3. Highway No.1085: Start from Mae Sod district of Tak province, pass Sobmei district, Mae Sareng district to Muang district of Mae Hong Son province. This 394 kilometers route takes around 7 hours.