We spent a week in Pai in November 2023, and we well and truly fell in love with Pai. It was the third destination of our South East Asia trip so very early days but to this day it is one of our favourite places we have been.
If you’re looking for a small, chilled out town that is surrounded by beautiful scenery then Pai is the place for you.
Here are some of my recommendations for Pai…
Places to eat/drink-
Jaey Cafe- this is a nice place to chill out and enjoy the stunning views. We only had a Diet Coke here but there were many more options available.
Two Sisters- sadly I don’t have a picture of the banana pancakes that I had at Two Sisters, but they are the best pancakes I have ever had. We went back 4 times because I loved them that much. They also serve Myanmar dishes which are very well reviewed.
Banh Banh Pun Pai sandwich Vietnam- this place had a HUGE queue every night. Its popularity does mean you have to wait around 30 minutes for your food but it’s well worth it. The Banh Mi (type of Vietnamese sandwich) is packed with your filling of choice and is delicious.
I love u Pai- we visited this cafe several times during our week in Pai, and we loved it. There are lots of comfy hanging egg chairs where you can sit and enjoy the views. We did have food here once which wasn’t the best but the smoothies are very nice. This is the perfect place to chill out with a book or your journal.
Maya Burger Queen- the burgers from here were great and they were very reasonably priced too. I would definitely recommend Maya Burger Queen if you’re craving some western food.
Cheese madness- I never expected to find a good cheese toastie in Thailand but Cheese Madness managed to deliver one. There are so many different combinations to choose from so there’s a toastie for everyone. Don’t miss out on this when you visit Pai.
Mai Soong Ka- we came here for lunch most days. They service very tasty Thai food and the portions are generous. I would recommend the veggie red curry!
Coffee Box @ Pai- we stumbled across this place one day and it was a gem of a fine. To this day the mango smoothie that I had here is the best one I have ever had. There are so many other drinks available too, as well tasty croffles (a combination of a waffle and croissant!)
Things to do-
Santichon Village- this is also known as the Chinese village. It’s a village that was settled by Chinese refugees and it’s a recreation of Yunnan culture. Here you will find Chinese clay houses, traditional clothing, and koi carp ponds. It’s an interesting place to walk around and not what you expect to come across in the middle of Thailand.
Pai bamboo mini golf- this is a really fun way to spend an afternoon. It’s run by a lovely Scottish man called Jim who will show you how to properly play bamboo golf. I wasn’t very good at it but it was still good fun!
Big Buddha- be warned there are lots of steps to get up to the top but it’s worth it! You can see the Big Buddha towering above the trees whilst you’re driving around, and it’s just as good to see it up close. Make sure you dress respectfully. Women are required to cover their shoulders and knees.
Pai walking street- here you’ll find loads of different stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, food, and much more. It’s all pedestrianised (except a few bikes that sneak through) so it’s nice to wander around and look at what people are selling.
Bamboo Bridge- this is located in Pam Bok village which is a short drive from the centre of Pai. It is a bamboo bridge that winds through the rice fields. There are also cafes nearby (including Jaey Cafe) where you can stop for a drink and bite to eat.
Two Huts- this is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Pai. Be warned that it does get very busy so make sure you get there about an hour before sunset so you get a seat. They service a variety of drinks and it isn’t too pricey.
How to get around-
It’s easy enough to walk about the centre of Pai as it is quite small. The walking street is pedestrianised in the evening (apart from a few motorbikes that sneak through).
If you’re wanting to go further afield, such as to Santichon Village or the Bamboo Bridge, then you will need to either rent a motorbike or use a tuk tuk.
We rented a motorbike in Pai and found this gave us much more freedom than relying on a tuk tuk. It also worked out to be more cost effective as taxi fees can quickly build up.
We did see a tourist crash a motorbike though. Remember to always wear a helmet, and only drive a bike if you’re confident and experienced in doing so. Also consider that you might get fined by police if you don’t have the correct license, and consider if your travel insurance covers you.
When to visit-
The best time to visit Pai is from November to February. We visited in November 2023, and found that the weather was perfect for us. Hot but not so hot that we couldn’t do lots of exploring.
The hottest and most humid months are April to June. Burning season occurs in March. This is where farmers burn their fields to prepare for the planting of new crops. As the name ‘burning season’ suggests this creates a lot of smoke, and the air becomes very polluted.
Getting to Pai-
Minivan- this is the cheapest and I would say best way of travelling to Pai. It takes around 3 hours to travel to Pai from Chiang Mai in a minivan. We did see a lot of TikToks saying that the journey was horrific but this was not the case for us. There are over 300 bends in the roads but the journey was smooth. I took a travel sickness tablet beforehand to be on the safe side but definitely ignore the TikTok horror stories.
Motorbike- you can rent a motorbike to drive to Pai and pay for your luggage to be sent to your accommodation in Pai. We did consider this but opted for the minivan. I’m glad we didn’t do this option as the roads were very bendy and there were quite a few cars and vans doing some risky overtakes. However, if you’re a confident driver then it would be an option for you. It would be more expensive than the minivan though.
Private taxi- you could pay for a private taxi if you don’t fancy sharing a minivan with other people but this would be much more expensive. I wouldn’t recommend this option as we had no problems with the minivan so for us a private taxi would have been a waste of money!
Down to Earth Travel 
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