9 Best Things To Do In Pai, Thailand (Where You Need To Visit)
Last Updated: December 5 2020
Pai is located in Northern Thailand and is popular among backpackers. It quickly became one of our favourite places in Thailand due to the beautiful scenery, chilled vibes and lovely people! There are also so many things to do in Pai to keep you exploring!
In this blog post, we will go through the things to see and do in Pai, Thailand including the famous Bamboo bridge. We have also included information on accommodation options, good food to eat and transport options.
We only stayed in Pai for a couple of days but we would have happily stayed longer! Hopefully, this Pai travel guide will convince you to add this beautiful town to your Thailand itinerary!
Things to do in Pai, Thailand
There are so many things to see and do in Pai that it is impossible to get bored!
Also if you are looking for cheap things to do in Pai you are in luck because most of them are either completely free or low entrance prices!
Coffee in love
Coffee In Love is a little coffee shop found on the outskirts of the town. It is a bright yellow building with amazing views. You can take a stroll down the path alongside to see the views of Pai’s countryside.
This spot is featured in a famous Chinese film called ‘Lost in Thailand’. Due to this many Chinese tourists come here to take photos in this famous spot! It is worth a stop off here on your way out of town.
Pai Land split
The Pai land split is a unique formation caused by an earthquake in 2008. The earthquake caused a large split in the ground, with subsequent earthquakes causing this to become larger. It is now thought that the land split is a fault line.
It is located 7 km outside of the town centre and can be found on the same road that leads to the bamboo bridge. The land split is located on a farmer’s land but he allows people to go and have a look. He doesn’t charge an entrance fee, it is donation only.
You can take a walk through the trail that leads to the land split and then the farmer also has a little stall with snacks and drinks for afterwards.
Bamboo bridge, Pai
If you are looking for what to do in Pai then make sure you visit the bamboo bridge! It was one of our favourite spots and is a very popular tourist attraction.
It is an 800m long bamboo bridge that runs over lush rice fields. The entrance fee is 30 baht each (about £0.70) and there is also a little cafe here that sells drinks and snacks. The walks over the bamboo walkways are so peaceful and it takes about 15 minutes to get to the end of the walkway.
This is where you may want to hire that scooter! We chose to go by bike and although we had plenty of beautiful scenery on the way it was a tough ride. The distance from Pai to the bamboo bridge was about 11km by bike and took us roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.
Pai Canyon
Visiting this canyon is known as one of the top things to do in Pai. It can be found on Highway 1095; about 8km from the town of Pai. There is no entrance fee and there are little stalls located along the trail.
Most people tend to visit the Canyon in time for sunset, as the views from the top are beautiful. However, a lot of people tend to recommend going up early in the morning when the weather is cooler.
Make sure to wear sensible footwear such as trainers and plenty of sunscreen!
White Buddha, Pai – Phra That Mae Yen
We didn’t bother hiring a bike to go to Phra That Mae Yen because it is only a 20-30 minute walk away from town. Here you will find a large white Buddha at the top but you will have to conquer quite a large amount of stairs first haha!
We enjoyed this spot in Pai because of the incredible views from the top! Make sure you wear respectful clothing when visiting this spot and take your shoes off before you head up the stairs to the Buddha.
Memorial Bridge, Pai
During World War II the Japanese built a bridge over the Pai river so that they would have a route from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son so they could attack Burma. The bridge was built in 1941 by forcing villagers to work and using elephants to drag heavy items.
The Japanese burnt down the bridge in the end, but the villagers of Pai rebuilt it because they had now come to rely on it. The bridge is located about 9km outside of Pai on the way to Chiang Mai.
Hot Springs, Pai
The Pai hot springs are found about 8km south of the town and are part of Huai Nam Dang National Park. The hot springs are surrounded by lush jungle so they are the perfect place to relax.
Within the hot springs, there are several different pools each with different heat levels so you can choose which one is most relaxing for you! There are toilets, showers and a cafe within the complex; so all the necessities you will need for a relaxed day.
Dragon bridge, Pai
Only a 5-10 minute cycle away from Coffee in Love is Mae She Thai Patthana Chit Chaloem Phra Kliait (a super long name we know!). It is a spiritual park with shrines for multiple religions.
Make sure you head to the back of the park as there is a really large dragon bridge which you get to cross. The bridge is lined by a colourful serpent on each side and they are incredibly detailed. If you head over the bridge you will come to a large buddha statue at the end which is worth a visit too.
Visit Pam Bok & Mor Paeng waterfalls
There are two beautiful waterfalls located close to Pai; Pam Bok waterfall and Mor Paeng waterfall.
Pam Bok is a canyon waterfall and is located about 15km from Pai. The water is deep enough to jump into at some places and is really refreshing on one of Thailand’s hot days!
Mor Paeng waterfall is found 9km from the centre of Pai on Highway 1095 towards Mae Hong Son. The waterfall has three levels and is especially impressive during the rainy season.
Travelling around Pai
Hiring a bike to explore the different sights is possibly one of the best things to do in Pai. You can stop off wherever you like, don’t have to worry about busy roads and they are super cheap to hire.
We paid about 200 baht for the day (about £5 for two bikes). The bike shop may also ask for a deposit and to keep some I.D until you return the bikes.
Another great way to get around Pai is to hire a scooter but we weren’t brave enough to do this haha! It would certainly be a less tiring option. You can hire a scooter for as low as 150 baht (about £3.50).
Food options in Pai
When it comes to food, Pai has some incredible choices. Pai walking street has some incredible places to get food especially the night market! There is so much street food to choose from so we recommend you pay a visit! It usually opens from 6 pm so if you are looking for things to do in Pai at night; this is the place! When it comes to Pai nightlife, this is the spot you will want for your late-night food and alcohol!
The stalls range from deserts such as crepe’s, Mexican food, western food and of course traditional Asian food. Make sure you head to the curry puff stall; we fell in love with them! Curry puffs are small balls of pastry filled with different curry fillings such as curried potato or chicken curry. If you are going to try anything, get these!
When it comes to the cafe’s two of the best places we ate at were Gorilla Cafe and Boom’s Burger. Cheap and tasty western food that is just what we fancied after weeks of noodles.
The lady at the Gorilla Cafe was lovely and she made the best toasties and fries! Likewise, the burgers at Boom’s Burger were incredible and 100% worth a visit when staying in Pai.
Getting to PaiÂ
We travelled to Pai from Chiang Mai and had a straightforward journey. We headed to Chaing Mai bus station and just bought our tickets at the stand there. After you buy your ticket, you will be told which stand to head too.
The journey from Chiang Mai to Pai takes about 3 hours, and we went via minibus. We will warn you though the roads are super bendy. Pai is located high up in the mountains so the roads are quite insane. If you are carsick this may be something to bear in mind.
You can also hire a scooter or motorbike to travel up to Pai as the road on the way has beautiful views.
Arriving in PaiÂ
Pai has a small bus station which is where you will get dropped off upon your arrival into Pai. The station is located in the centre of town, so no long walks to your accommodation! You could get a tuk-tuk to take you but in all honesty, you probably won’t need one.
Accommodation in PaiÂ
There are so many options when it comes to finding a place to stay in Pai. We stayed in a cool place called KK Hut. It was only a 10-minute walk away from the bus station and the centre of town, and we got to stay in a little wooden hut with a hammock.
For a budget accommodation, KK Hut was ideal. Plenty of food options nearby, our own space and located in a peaceful area; it only cost us roughly £6 a night.
If you are looking for something else, here are some more options for you!
Budget accommodation
Serene Resort- £14 a night for a double room with a private bathroom and a pool onsite.
KK Hut- £5 a night for a bungalow with a fan. Ideal for any budget travellers.
Pai Country Hut- £9 a night for a cottage and shared bathroom with free breakfast included.
Guest House Canary- £12 a night for a double room and terrace.
Pai Circus Hostel- £12 a night for a bungalow. This is a very popular spot and one for any partygoers.
Mid Range accommodation
Yoma Hotel- £28 a night for a deluxe double room.
Belle Villa Resort- £23 a night for a deluxe double room.
Hotel Lasai- £22 for a double room with pool view. Amazing hotel but about a 20 minute walk away from town.
The Quarter- £31 a night for a double room and free breakfast.
High Price/Luxury accommodation
Montis Resort- £57 a night for a deluxe lower floor room and free breakfast.
The Oia Pai Resort- £58 a night for an Ionian superior room high floor with river view, free shuttle to town and free breakfast.
Family House Zen Boutique- £60 a night for a deluxe double room and exceptional breakfast.
Pai Island Resort- £88 a night for an island honeymoon villa and free breakfast.
Onward travel from Pai
There are many places you can travel to from Pai including Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and even Laos if you are looking to head to another country.
We headed to Chiang Rai by minibus, after booking our ticket using one of the agents in town the day before.
Hopefully, this Pai travel guide has inspired you to travel to this beautiful place. It is a great way to experience life in Thailand’s countryside as opposed to its big cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai. There are so many cool things to do in Pai, so you definitely won’t regret it!
Thanks for reading,
Jack & Abbie
P.S. Why not follow our Instagram page where we share photos of the places we have been. You can find us here!
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I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
