Pai
Mountain Town In Mae Hong Son Reached By The Road Of 762 Curves From Chiang Mai · Pai, Mae Hong Son
Pai is a small town in a green valley in the mountains of Mae Hong Son province, about 135 kilometres northwest of Chiang Mai, reached by Route 1095, a road famous for its 762 curves that takes roughly three hours by minivan. Once a quiet Shan and Lanna market village on the Pai river, it became a backpacker favourite and now mixes guesthouses, cafes, bars and yoga studios with rice fields and hill country around it. Each evening the centre becomes a walking street market selling street food and handicrafts. Around the valley lie Pai Canyon, a narrow sandstone ridge with sheer drops popular at sunset, the Second World War memorial bridge, the hot springs at Tha Pai and Sai Ngam, the Mo Paeng and Pam Bok waterfalls, the white Buddha of Wat Phra That Mae Yen on a hill, the Land Split and the Yunnanese village of Santichon below the Yun Lai viewpoint. Further on, Tham Lod cave has bamboo raft trips. Mornings are cold in December and January, and from about February to April smoke from burning can make the air very poor.
Walking Street, Wiang Tai, Pai, Mae Hong Son, 58130, Thailand
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the walking street runs every evening from about 5 or 6 pm to around 10 or 11 pm, with no closing day. Tha Pai hot springs has opened from about 7 or 8 am to about 5 or 6 pm, with last entry an hour or so before closing; Sai Ngam has been open during daylight. Pai Canyon, the bridge and the waterfalls have no gates but should be visited in daylight. Tham Lod has run guided tours from about 8 am to 5 or 6 pm, with the last tour before closing. Minivans to and from Chiang Mai run from early morning to afternoon, with the last departures often by late afternoon. The traps that ruin a day are missing the last minivan, being stranded on the canyon in the dark, arriving at the hot springs after last entry and planning outdoor trips on days when smoke makes the air hazardous. Confirm current times before relying on them.