How to visit Pai, Thailand

If you’re a backpacker heading towards Northern Thailand, chances are you’ve stumbled upon Pai. This town is super popular with backpackers, who often find themselves spending longer there than they expected…

I visited Pai in December 2023 and liked it, although I have to admit it wasn’t my sort of thing all-in-all. After my trip, I’ve written this guide to help you plan your own visit. It contains information on what the town is like and my honest thoughts on the area, as well as practical information such as how to get there, what to do, and where to stay.

Ready? Let’s begin!

A short introduction to Pai

Pai is a town in the Mae Hong Soon Province of northern Thailand.

Pai used to be just like any other small northern Thai town. However, with the advent of tourism over the past decade, Pai has become very popular with international visitors.

Why? In my opinion, it’s because of its small-town nature, which makes it very relaxed and chill. Tourism has boomed, so when walking around, it’s rare to be more than a few steps away from a guesthouse, restaurant or bar.

Nowadays, Pai is very popular with backpackers who rave about the chill nature. Many people come for a few days and stay for a few weeks: a phenomenon which I’ve often heard nicknamed the “Pai hole”.

Primarily a backpacker town

First and foremost, Pai is a backpacker town. Walking around in the daytime, I was surprised at how few Thai people I saw. There were almost only tourists, and backpackers at that, on the streets.

Going one step further, I think anyone who visits would say it’s the ideal town for hippies or other very relaxed nomads, who spend a lot of time here. There’s a lot of bars, restaurants and cafes which cater perfectly to this crowd: think open wooden bars, relaxed lounges and a free-spirited environment.

To be honest, I didn’t personally like this vibe. Within the many tourist-oriented bars and restaurants, the only Thai people were the waiters; there wasn’t even Thai writing on the menus. Normally, even if a restaurant in Thailand caters to primarily Western customers, the menu will still be written in dual Thai and English. But not here: it’s English all the way.

By contrast, heading out of the touristy area, particularly to the south and west, it felt like mainly locals were present, with signs in Thai only. I know this kind of separation occurs in many touristy locations, but still, it felt particularly pronounced here.

Ratings

As part of this blog, I give every place I visit a rating so that you can easily compare destinations and decide whether they’re worth a visit. Those are the scores you see at the top of the page!

This is how Pai rated:

• Accessibility: 3/5 – whilst easy to get to, your options in Pai itself are limited if you can’t ride a scooter, and I don’t like that many people feel they have to learn in order to spend a long time here. People with disabilities are fine to chill in town but, given the reliance on scooters and songthaews to get around, they may struggle to visit any of the top attractions.
• Safety: 5/5 – Pai felt super safe and relaxing.
• Enjoyment: 4/5 – controversially, I wasn’t a crazy fan of Pai; it just wasn’t my vibe. However, don’t let my opinion stop you!
• Value: 5/5 – Pai is cheap, even for Thailand.

Overall score: 4.25/5

If you’ve already visited, let me know if you agree with these ratings! Just to note, the ratings are my personal opinion based on my visit, so you might have a completely different experience.

Where to eat in Pai

Each evening, Pai has a moderately sized night market. Here you’ll find a range of food stalls, some selling small snacks and others serving full dishes.

In my opinion, the night market is the best place to get your evening meal. There are so many options and you can try a lot of different snacks. When I was visiting, I was particularly taken by a stand which makes Pad Thai in front of you, and another place selling fat purple coconut pancakes. I thought food hygiene was pretty good, particularly at those stands where the food was being cooked in front of you.

However, in general the night market is suited to grazing more than it is a full sit down meal. For this, you’ll want to look at one of the many restaurants in town. I didn’t have a stand out experience at any of them to be honest though.

For breakfast, the place to go is Break the Fast, a morning cafe which sells a range of breakfast items at reasonable prices. I adored their French toast, which was plentiful and fluffy!

Where to stay in Pai

As Pai is popular with many tourists, you’ll find a lot of places to stay. Don’t expect big resorts; honestly, that isn’t this town’s vibe. Instead, you’re best off looking at smaller guesthouses and hostels. What appeals depends on your vibe.

I stayed at Common Grounds, a hostel in Pai. It’s not a party hostel but is still quite social, with events every evening and shared trips during the day; that makes it a good option for people who don’t want to party 24/7 but still want to make friends. I really liked the common area and chill vibe! Just make sure to book a couple of days in advance, as it sold out early during my visit.

Other hostels are known for a more party feel. Pai Circus in particular is known for this, and I’ve heard good things about it for those who are that way inclined.

Make sure to check out the location as some of the hostels and guesthouses are located some kilometres outside Pai. It’s not a particularly big town, but you’ll want to be based close to the centre if you aren’t renting a scooter.

How long should you stay in Pai?

In most places like Pai, where there aren’t tons to do, I would normally recommend only staying for a couple of days. However, this is the location of the so-called Pai hole where people come for a few days, then get waylaid and stay for weeks.

Personally, to be honest, I don’t see the appeal of staying a long time in Pai. I respect those who do and can understand why they would – it’s a super relaxing place – but to stay a long time, you need to pick your accommodation carefully. In town, if you want to chill outside your accommodation, your only real options are cafes and bars, which could feel isolating when you’re on your own and do not encourage a cheap stay.

Therefore, picking the right place to stay is so important. I’d recommend perhaps picking the hostel that matches your individual travel vibe, whether you’d prefer super relaxed or social.

One other thing: Pai tends to be oversubscribed in terms of backpackers visiting, so the favourite hostels get booked up early, making it difficult to extend your stay. For example, the hostel I stayed at, Common Grounds, books up three or four days in advance, so to stay in the Pai Hole you would have to change hostels. And let me tell you, I loved Common Grounds, so you just wouldn’t get the same experience in a different hostel.

How to get to Pai

Almost all visitors to Pai start first by getting to Chiang Mai, the biggest city and a major tourist destination in the area.

It’s easy to get to Chiang Mai, which is well connected to domestic destinations across Thailand and other international destinations by flight, as well as with regular buses and trains to Bangkok.

Chiang Mai to Pai by minibus

From Chiang Mai, the easiest way to get to Pai is by minibus. These leave multiple times a day and can be arranged using 12go.asia or via your hostel, with the journey taking 4 hours. Bizarrely, when I was there, they cost 200 baht ($5.80 / £4.70) from Chiang Mai and 150 baht ($4.30 / £3.50) from Pai; I have no idea why the cost is directionally dependent, but what would I know?

Make sure to book your minibus several days in advance in the high season. I mistakenly booked mine only two days in advance and the only time available was 6:30 am… not my best wake up ever!

Also if you get travel sick, bring tablets with you. The road between Chiang Mai and Pai is notoriously bendy, which can affect some people.

Chiang Mai to Pai by scooter

Alternatively, you can get to Pai by driving yourself. It’s possible to rent a scooter in Chiang Mai and drop it off in Pai, or vice versa.

The road is pretty bendy and has a bad reputation, so it’s only worth attempting to drive yourself if you are a confident scooter rider. It takes around 3 hours non-stop but a newish scooter rider, with extra stops and detours, will take longer.

More advanced riders will also want to consider the Mae Hong Son loop. It’s a four day loop which is popular with tourists who are experienced on a scooter (which really limits the number of people who can do it).

How to get around Pai

Pai is very small and walkable, so you only need to walk to get around.

However, to do anything outside the centre, a scooter quickly becomes essential. It’s therefore no surprise that for many people, this is the first time they ride a scooter and is the start of their motorbike journey! Pai is normally pretty quiet and the roads are beginner friendly (as far as Thai roads go).

That being said, I didn’t ride a scooter there. I don’t ride a scooter and am not planning on changing this, especially not in a foreign country! Scooters aren’t always covered by a standard driving licence, and regardless you may not be insured. If you’re riding one, I’d carefully consider the risks and if you’re prepared to accept them.

Not riding a scooter? There are a couple of places you can reach by walking, such as the White Buddha. And of course you can explore the centre. Large groups, like those organised by the hostel, will be able to get a joint taxi for a reasonable cost.

There also remains the option of doing a tour. This is what I did, with my half day tour costing 300 baht ($8.80 / £7.00). However, probably half of the stops were a waste of time. So whether you want to spend your time doing this is a personal choice!

What to do in Pai

1. Do nothing

Pai isn’t known for being a place with lots of stuff to do. On the contrary, there isn’t much to do at all!

But that’s kind of the point. People go there for the sole purpose of not doing much. It’s a great place to chill and do nothing. There are plenty of cafes and bars with a relaxed atmosphere, which makes it simple to find somewhere to relax at for a few hours.

2. Visit the White Buddha

In between relaxing, every backpacker needs a few attractions to keep them occupied. One of the top things to do is to visit the White Buddha, a giant Buddha statue located on the hillside outside town. You’ll have to climb some steps to get up, but don’t worry: this only takes five minutes.

Once you’re up, you won’t need much time there: the Buddha statue has seen better days, and at the time of my visit the sides of the statue were cordoned off. Just take a few minutes to look at the view of Pai and the surrounding countryside.

At 30 mins walk from Pai, it’s also possible to walk here if you want to.

Tip: if you’re female, make sure to bring clothes to cover up. They monitor people going up! If you need to, it costs 20 baht ($0.60 / £0.50) to rent a sarong from the foot of the Buddha.

3. Visit a waterfall

The area surrounding Pai is home to many waterfalls. It therefore makes sense to explore a couple of them…

The most well known is Mo Paeng Waterfall. I didn’t make it there, but with several tiers of cascades, it sounds relaxing.

I went to Pam Bok Waterfall on my tour of Pai, and what a waste of time it was! The entry fee cost 100 baht ($2.90 / £2.30), which is 100 baht I’ll never get back.

4. Watch the sunset at Pai Canyon

As you’d expect from such a chilled out town, one of the top activities to do in Pai is to watch the sunset. Possibly the top location for this is Pai Canyon, a red sandstone landscape full of scarps, nooks and crannies surrounded by forest. It gets packed at sunset, but for good reason – the views from it are gorgeous.

Not feeling the crowds at Pai Canyon? There are also several bars and cafes outside Pai which advertise their sunset views, such as 10RAI and Two Huts. I didn’t go to them, but they could be a shout if you’re in Pai for a while.

5. Relax at the pool at Fluid

On the outskirts of Pai, you’ll find a swimming pool (Fluid), which I heard good things about. Entry costs 100 baht ($2.90 / £2.30), but then you can laze by the pool all day. What more could you ask for?

6. Enjoy the nightlife

In my opinion, Pai’s attractions leave a lot to be desired. However, for many backpackers, Pai is so well-loved because of its nightlife. There are a lot of tourists which head there to go to many bars and enjoy a varied social life.

If this is something you want to do, make sure to head to a hostel which supports this; there are many with alcohol-oriented social events and parties, and others with a more relaxed atmosphere, so it just depends on what you’re looking for.

7. Go tipsy tubing

Another drink-oriented activity that’s popular in Pai is tipsy tubing. As part of this, you go tubing (floating in a rubber ring down a river) with stops at bars. There are a LOT of tipsy backpackers at this event!

I can’t lie, I hated my tipsy tubing trip; to me, it felt awkward and unsafe. However, for those who like to party, it seems like the ideal activity; and, at 250 baht ($7.30 / £5.80) per person, it is a steal.

8. Spend some time in a monastery

For the exact opposite experience to Pai, head to a monastery, such as Wat Pa Tam Wua. At this monastery, anyone is welcome to join for several days, without having to pay.

By all accounts, life at a monastery is hard, and there’s a lot of meditation. Think 4 am wake up calls and changes to when you can and cannot eat, in line with the monks who make the monastery their home.

It’s certainly not for the faint hearted! However, it sounds like a rewarding experience for those who are interested.

Conclusion

Pai in northern Thailand is an interesting place. Its relaxed atmosphere with a heavy dose of nightlife enthralls many backpackers, leading them to stay much longer than they’d planned – a great sign that this is somewhere that should be on your Thailand itinerary!

However, I wasn’t so keen on Pai. Not driving a scooter meant that I couldn’t do an awful lot, and I didn’t feel the allure of the Pai Hole hanging onto me. It’s definitely comes down to what you’re looking for in your trip there.

What do you want to know about visiting Pai? Let me know in the comments.