is considered to be the 'Phangan' ofthe mountains and as we do in Koh Phangan at Baan Panburi Village,we aim to be the best natural accommodation in Pai to serve you as your home away from home. and to live to our tradition as having the friendliest serviceand smile, and take care of travelers and guests whom we considered as our friends. Beside providing clean traditional hut accommodations and travelers guide, we also provide you with great food as well.
It first appears that there's not a lot to see in Pai (pronounced like the English word 'bye' not 'pie'), a peaceful crossroads town about halfway between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son on Rte 1095. But if you stick around a few days and talk to some of the locals, you may discover some beautiful spots in the surrounding hills.
Most of the town's population are Shan and Thai, but there' s also a small but visible Muslim Chinese population. Attracted by easy living and a small live music scene, Pai nowadays also features a sizeable collection of long-term visitors - mostly farang and Japanese - who use the town as a place to chill out between excursion elsewhere in Asia

Northwest of town , a Shan village, a Lahu village and Lisu village, a KMT village called Ban Santichon (San Ti Chuen in Yunnanese) and Nam Tok Mo Paeng can all be visited on foot. The Shan, Lisu and KMT villages lie within 4km of Pai, while the Lahu village is near Nam Tok Mo Paeng, which is another 4
km farther from town (8 km total).


You can cut the hike in half by taking a Mae Hong Son - bound bus north about 5 km and getting off at a signpost for the falls; from the highway it's only 4 km ( about 2 km beyond the Pai Mountain Lodge ).


Getting There & Away

Buses (60 Bht. ordinary, 150 Bht. air - con) depart Chiang Mai's Arcade bus station at 8.30 am and 11 am and noon, 2 pm and 4 pm daily. The distance is only 134 km but the trip takes about three hours due to the steep and winding road. From Mae Hong Son There also five buses a day with the same departure times as the buses from Chiang Mai. This winding, 111km stretch takes three to four hours (53 Bht., 74 Bht.). In the other direction , buses depart Pai for Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son at 8.30 am and 10.30 am and noon, 2 pm and 4 pm. Buses from Pai to Sopong cost 30 Bht.
ordinary, 150 Bht. air - con. Enjoy luxury travel. There is a twenty minutes flight operated by SGA air leaving from Chiang Mai at 10.55 A.M. and 2.45 P.M.

Getting Around

Most of Pai is accessible on foot. For local excursions you can rent bicycles or motorcycles at several locations around town. A place next door to Duang Guest House rents out bicycles for 50 Bht. per day (80 Bht. for newer bikes) Motorcycles can be rented at MS Motorcycle rent, just south of Thom's Pai Elephant Camp Tours office - 100cc bikes cost 150 Bht. per 24 hours, larger bikes cost 200 Bht. Motorcycle taxis can be hired from the the taxi stand at the bus stop. Typical fares are 25 Bht. to Baan Nam Hu and Baan Wiang Neua, 35 Bht. to Nam Hu Lisaw and Nam Hu Jin, and 45 Bht. to Tha Pai.

Around Pai

Pai can be used as a base for excursions to hill - tribe villages, as described earlierin the Pai section. Farther afield, the area northeast of Pai has so far been little explored. A network of unpaved roads - some little more than footpaths - skirts a mountain ridge and the Mae Taeng valley all the way to the Myanmar border near Wiang Haeng and Ban Piang Haeng, passing several villages along the way. Near Ban Piang Luang is a Shan temple built by Khun Sa, the opium warlord. This area can also be visited by road from chiang Dao in Chiang Mai Province.
A couple of poolsat the base of the falls are suitable for swimming- best just after the rainy season, October to early December.

Across the Mae Pai and 8 km southeast of town via a paved road is Tha Pai Hot Springs (admission free; swimming or bathing 50 Bht.) a well-kept local park 1km from the road.
A scenic stream runs through the park; the stream mixes with the hot springs in places to make pleasant bathing areas. There also small public bathing houses to which hot spring water is piped.


The Krung Thai Bank located on the eastern side of Th Rangsiyanon
(the main road through town) has an ATM and foreign-exchange service.


Siam Used Books (Th Rangsiyanon) carries a good selection of used fiction and nonfiction.

Wat Phra That Mae Yen
This temple sits atop a hill and has good views overlooking the valley. Walk 1km east from the main intersection in town , across a stream and through a village , to get to the stairs (a decent climb - 353 steps) that lead to the top. Or take the 400m sealed road that follows a different route to the top.
Trekking, Rafting & Elephant Riding

Any of the guesthouses in town can provide information on local trekking and a few do guided treks for as little as 500 Bht. per day if there are no rafts or elephants involved. Among the more established local agencies are Back Trax, Duang Trekking and Northern Green, all with prominent street side offices on Th Chaisongkhram, in the center of town.


Thai Adventure Rafting leads excellent two-day, white-water Mae Pai rafting trips in sturdy rubber rafts from Pai to Mae Hong Son for 18,00 Bht. per person including food, rafting equipment, camping gear, dry bags and insurance. Along the way rafters visit the waterfall, a fossil reef and hot springs; one night is spent at the company's permanent riverside camp. The main rafting season is July to December; after that the trips aren't normally run. TAR has offices in Pai and in Chiang Mai.

Thom's Pai Elephant Camp Tours offers jungle rides year-round at its camp southeast of Pai near the hot springs. It costs 300 Bht. to 550 Bht. per person (minimum of two people) for a one - to three - hour ride that include a visit to the hot springs. It also arranges bamboo or rubber rafting trips down the Mae Pai. Combination elephant - trekking / river - rafting tours (1,000 Bht. per person ) include lunch and transport. Other combination tours / treks are available, including overnight stays in hill-tribe villages.


Traditional Massage & Herbal Sauna

There are many good places in Pai.
 
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