nolo

Pai

Everything you need to know about Pai

Distances by road from Nolo Hub

  • Route signs on the road from Chiang Mai: the 1095 to the left, the 107 straight on and the 1414 to the right

    Getting to Pai from Chiang Mai

    Getting here

    762 curves, and three ways to take them.

  • A sheer orange cliff at Pai Canyon, with walkers on the rim and the mountains beyond

    Pai Canyon

    South on the 1095 · 7.3 km

    Explore Pai’s red earth ridges.

    • Free
  • Walking Street at night, stalls lit along both sides

    Pai Walking Street

    10–15 min walk

    Pai’s night market. Come hungry.

    • Free
  • The White Buddha from behind, looking out over the Pai valley

    White Buddha

    2.8 km

    Pai’s big, white Buddha.

    • Free
  • Late light over the valley from the hillside at Two Huts

    Two Huts

    5.9 km

    Pai’s hillside sunset bar, overlooking the valley.

  • Steam rising off the fenced source pool at Tha Pai Hot Spring

    Tha Pai Hot Spring

    South on the 1095 · 8.8 km

    Soak in warm pools, then cook eggs.

    • Ticketed
  • Mor Pang Waterfall from above: the rock chute, the walkway and the pool below

    Mor Pang Waterfall

    West · 10.5 km

    Natural rock slides and sunny pools for swimming.

    • Ticketed
  • Pam Bok Waterfall dropping into its pool between the gorge walls

    Pam Bok Waterfall

    The valley, south-west · 8.2 km

    A canyon waterfall that roars in the rainy season.

    • Ticketed
  • The bamboo bridge winding across green rice fields towards the temple and the village

    Pai Bamboo Bridge

    The valley, south-west · 10.1 km

    Walk 815 metres of bamboo above the rice fields.

    • Ticketed
  • Two of Sai Ngam’s clear pools under the trees, divided by a low stone weir

    Sai Ngam Hot Spring

    North-west · 18.8 km

    Soak in clear, warm pools in the forest.

    • Ticketed
  • The river running through Tham Lod, with bamboo rafts

    Tham Lod Cave

    North-west · 50 km

    Explore a vast river cave by raft and on foot.

    • Ticketed
    • Full day
  • The view from Yun Lai over Santichon and the Pai valley

    Santichon Chinese Village & Yun Lai

    West · 5 km

    Explore the Chinese village, then see it from above.

    • Ticketed
    • Steep road
  • The wooden deck of the Pai Memorial Bridge running between green steel trusses

    Memorial Bridge

    South on the 1095 · 9.1 km

    A bridge with a story of war, floods and reuse.

    • Free
  • Watching the sun go down over the ridges from the rocks at the top of Doi Thong

    Doi Miang & Doi Thong

    The valley, south-west · 15.9 km

    Two high viewpoints — and one very steep road.

    • Steep road
  • Forested mountains rolling away from the Doi Kiew Lom viewpoint

    Doi Kiew Lom

    North-west · 26.2 km

    Mountain-top forested ridges and limestone peaks.

    • Free
    • Steep road
  • Hua Chang Waterfall pouring into its pool between dark rock walls

    Hua Chang Waterfall

    North-east · 11.6 km

    A half-day jungle trek to a waterfall.

    • Free
    • Seasonal
  • Ban Jabo strung along the ridge beneath limestone cliffs

    Ban Jabo

    North-west · 57 km

    Noodles with a mountain view in a ridge-top village.

    • Full day
    • Steep road
  • The hot spring field at Muang Paeng: mineral-crusted rock, the stream and the round pool

    Muang Paeng Hot Spring

    The 1265, south · 32 km

    Pai's only free hot spring.

    • Free
  • Nolo Hub’s pool from above, NOLO HUB PAI in tiles along its length

    The Eggplant Pool

    Nolo Hub’s phallus-shaped pool. Buy a drink and jump in.

  • The Tipsy Tubing crowd waving at the drone on the riverbank, tubes stacked by the Pai River

    Tipsy Tubing

    Floating the Pai river, in season

    • Seasonal
  • Boiling water shooting up from the fenced well at Muang Rae

    Muang Rae Geyser

    The 1265, south · 20 km

    A roadside hot-water geyser.

    • Free
  • Steam rising from the hot water at Pong Dueat

    Pong Dueat Geyser

    Chiang Mai side · 59.1 km

    Watch a geyser erupt among the forest hot springs.

    • Ticketed
  • Mae Yen Waterfall falling in two streams into a shallow pool, with stacks of stones at the water's edge

    Mae Yen Waterfall

    3.6 km

    A full-day jungle trek to a tall waterfall.

    • Full day

  • Land Split

    The valley, south-west

    Closed for good, though older guides still list it.

    • Closed

Things to do in Pai

Most days out in Pai involve adventures that come with water or a view. Slide down the natural slide of Mor Pang Waterfall, explore the gorge at Pam Bok Waterfall, or cross the river-lined jungle on the trek to Hua Chang Waterfall. Soak at the hot springs of Tha Pai, Sai Ngam or Muang Paeng — the only one of the three that’s free. Climb the 353 steps to the White Buddha, venture along Pai Canyon’s red earth ridges, or watch the sun go down behind Pai valley at Two Huts. In the evening, there’s Walking Street’s night market, and a long day north-west pairs noodles at Ban Jabo with the river cave at Tham Lod.

Pai Map

The Pang Mapha road

A map of the Pai valley: the Pai River and the road through town, with the places in this guide marked

Up from Ban Pam Bok

South

The Chiang Mai road

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · terrain from SRTM, courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

Photographs not ours, cropped: Getting to Pai by Shinsuke JJ Ikegame, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr; Pai Walking Street by Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Tham Lod Cave by Apisit Wilaijit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Pong Dueat Geyser by Chaiyathat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.