Once a gorgeous sleepy town, Pai, while still rather gorgeous, is well and truly on the traveller map through northern Thailand. Old timers and more experienced travellers may sneer at it, as it's certainly not the "real Thailand" any more but if you're a young backpacker on a first trip to Thailand it can seem like a great scene and it is easily accessible in every sense.
Pai old city, situated on the left bank of Pai river by Wiang Nur village, dates back to the Lanna period when it was an important regional centre, though there's nothing much left of it to see these days. During the 1970s it was probably a fairly dangerous spot, being a Kuomintang-controlled area and an important opium transit centre. In the 1980s the area was cleaned up and a sealed road to Pai was built.
The pesky KMT were offered decent farmland and Khun Sa and his Shan State Army were far enough away to not pose a threat, while the lingering KMT insurgency was restricted to remoter northern areas such as Nan, effectively making the area attractive to tourists at last.
Pai was relatively easily accessed from the existing tourism centre of Chiang Mai and soon became de rigueur on any northern Thailand trip. It was originally popularised as a rest-stop on what was once a far more gruelling bus trip from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, but adventurous trekkers soon started to flood in along with a wave of backpackers looking for cheap grass, easily available opium and something to do while waiting for the next Ko Pha Ngan full moon party.
The drugs scene has now been seriously clamped down upon and Pai has had a bit of a rebranding as a rural Chiang Mai with wholesome activities, picturesque scenery and a chilled out scene.
The influx of farang with northern Thai wives setting up cafes or guesthouses in Pai has been followed by a second influx of pseudo-hippy types from the further reaches of Chattuchak market and Ko Pha Ngan, who have set up resorts for weekender Thai yuppies from the big cities. Shops selling handicrafts, jewellery, tattoos, mojitos and traditional Lisu cheesecake and cappuccinos now abound.
Bangkokians looking for a sea change too have bought up land and built either resorts or personal homes in an attempt to recreate what they feel has been lost in Thailand's urban centres. A strong new age scene translates into an organic food industry and all manner of holistic courses being offered. Yoga courses and classes, Thai cooking schools and a near endless range of massage and spa treatments all vie for attention.
Unlike Chiang Mai and to a lesser extent Mae Hong Son, Pai doesn't have much to see in the traditional sense of sightseeing. Rather people come to either just hang out and bide their time, or to explore the hinterland. A plethora of activities are available, including exploring the countryside by foot, motorbike, elephant or bamboo raft.
The mountainous scenery and proximity to the Burmese border has seen several ethnic minority groups settle in the area and these villages are often visited by the treks striking out from Pai -- as are some of the surrounding waterfalls. In more recent years white-water rafting has become popular and it's possible to raft almost all of the way to Mae Hong Son.
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