A Slice of Pai (Nov 9-11)

Our latest trip was to a small town approximately 80 km (50 miles for those of you born before 1970) north of Chiang Mai called Pai. Although most people just pronounce it as “pie”, the Thai sound for P is really closer to B, according to Tick, our language teacher. Anyway, it’s a town of about 2000 people which has become an immensely popular tourist stop, particularly amongst the backpacker set. It’s easily walkable and the streets are filled with locals selling their wares.  As well, numerous bars and restaurants, along with cheap guesthouses, are everywhere which makes it extra attractive for the young travellers. There is a relaxed but energetic (is it possible for those two words to go together?) feel to this beautiful town located on the Pai River.

Pai itself is nestled at the foot of the mountains and the surrounding countryside is stunningly beautiful. There are hot springs, waterfalls, and hiking areas. We rented a small motorbike for the day at a cost of 140 baht (under $5) and explored several areas. One place that we wanted to see was the bridge on the river Pai (see blog from Oct. 27, One Night In Bangkok). Although this one was not the subject of a movie, it had many similarities to the one over the Kwai. According to locals and most tourist information sites, it was built by Japanese soldiers during World War Two in order to transport goods and troops across the river. However, there is strong evidence which suggests that the bridge was built much later by the Thai government and the historical connection invented, presumably to attract tourists.

I mentioned earlier that the distance to Pai is only 80 kilometers so it should only take an hour to drive there right? Well it doesn’t quite work that way. The route from CM to Pai has 762 curves (apparently someone had the time to count) which is boasted about on t-shirts and other paraphernalia. We were warned that at least one person always gets car sick on the trip to or from Pai and it was very nearly us. Sitting in the back of the mini-van was a gut-wrenching experience which will not be repeated. Next time it will be the 25 minute plane ride in a 12-seater Cessna instead of the three hour rollercoaster in the van.

Until next time ………