THe Best 4 things in Pai

1. Ban Santichon

It’s a living, breathing Chinese village, but the cheesy photo ops, piped in music, restaurants serving Yunnanese food, tea tasting, pony rides, a tacky recreation of the Great Wall of China and mountaintop viewpoint can make parts of Ban Santichon seem more like a Chinese-themed Disneyland. Located about 4km west of Pai.

2. Memorial Bridge

To us it may look like an antiquated bridge, but to the thousands of Thais who stop here during the tourist season it’s one of several crucial photo ops along the ‘762 curves’ to Pai. Located 9km from Pai along the road to Chiang Mai, the bridge was originally built by Japanese soldiers during WWII.

3. Wat Phra That Mae Yen

This temple sits atop a hill and has good views overlooking the valley. To get there, walk 1km east from the main intersection in town to get to the stairs (353 steps) that lead to the top. Or, if you’ve got wheels, take the 400m sealed road that follows a different route.

4. Tha Pai Hot Springs

Across Mae Nam Pai and 7km southeast of town via a paved road is this well-kept local park. A scenic stream flows through the park, which mixes with the hot springs in places to make pleasant bathing areas. The water is also diverted to a couple of nearby spas.