Around and about Pai

It first appears that there\'s not a lot to see in Pai (pronounced like \'bye\'), a peaceful crossroads town about halfway between Chiangmai and Mae Hong Son on Route 1095. But if you stick around a few days and talk to some of the locals, you may discover some beautiful out-of-town spots in the surrounding hills. Most of the town\'s population are Shan and Thai, but there\'s also a small but visible Muslim population - mostly jiin haw.

North-west of town a Shan, a Lahu and a Lisu village, a KMT village called Ban Santichon (San Ti Chuen in Yunnanese) and Maw Paeng Falls can all be visited on foot. The Shan, Lisu and KMT villages lie within 4km of Pai, while the Lahu village is near Maw Paeng Falls, another 4km farther from town (8km total).You can cut the hike in half by taking a Mea Hong Son-bound bus north about 5km and getting off at a signpost for the falls, from the highway it\'s only 4km (about 2km beyond the Pai Mountain Lodge). At Cafe del Doi we can provide information on local trekking and also do guided treks. Six to seven-day treks to Mae Hong Son are available.

Across the Pai River and 8km south-east of Pai nearby Cafe del Doi you can find Tha Pai Hot Springs, a well kept local park 1km back from the road. A scenic stream runs through the park; it mixes with the hot springs in places to make a pleasant bathing area - entry to the Hot Springs is free.

Wat Phra That Mae Yen

Simply known as Wat Mae Yen, this is a newish temple built on a hill with a good view overlooking the valley. Walk 1km east from the main intersection in Pai town, across a stream and trough a village, to get the stairs (353 steps) that lead to the top. The monks are vegetarian, uncommon in Thai Buddhist temples.

Visitors can use Pai as a base for excursions to nearby hill-tribe villages. Farther afield, the area north-east of Pai has so far been little explored. A network of unpaved roads - some little more than footpaths - skirts a mountain ridge and the Taeng River 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 infamous opium warlord. Printing facilities for Freedom\'s Way, a propaganda journal for the Mong Tai-Shan United Army, are just across the border. This area can also be visited by road from Chiang Dao in Chiangmai Province.