THE small district of Pai, occupying a wide valley nestled high in one of Thailand's northwestern-most mountain ranges, appears poised to become Thailand's fastest- growing tourist destination. Increasing numbers of both Thai and foreign visitors are attracted to the town’s sweeping upland views, natural hot springs, several waterfalls and a small but thriving art scene.

Shan migrants from northeastern Burma founded Pai in 1251 at what is today a sizeable village known as Wiang Nua (Northern Walled City). The original earthen city walls, bisected by a moat used as a second line of defense (and still filled with water), form a 14-kilometer perimeter along north, east and south sides of the original town. The modern center of Pai district lies around three kilometers south of the original town site, in an area known as Wiang Tai (Southern Walled City).

The municipality itself counts around 4,000 inhabitants and, along with seven sub-districts and 61 villages, is part of Pai district, whose total number of inhabitants is around 25,000. Today most permanent residents of Pai are Shan, along with smaller numbers of northern Thai, Yunnanese, Lisu and Karen. Many Yunnanese residents, most of whose forebears migrated to Pai within the last 60 years, follow the Muslim faith. A large mosque can be seen in the center of town.

Before World War II, travel between Chiangmai and Pai involved an arduous week's journey on foot or by pony caravan. During the war, the Japanese imperial army cut a road between Mae Malai and Pai to supplement supply lines to their forces in British Burma. The well-engineered but unsurfaced highway placed Pai within a day's travel of Chiangmai for the first time.

After the Japanese were defeated, the dirt road was upgraded to Highway 1095 but as it remained unsealed, the drive from Chiangmai to Pai still took a minimum of six hours, and a journey onward to Maehongson took another six. This meant that most inter-provincial travelers conducting business among these three towns had to spend a night in Pai.
In 1993, the road was finally sealed, reducing travel time between Chiangmai and Maehongson to seven or eight hours. From this moment on, Pai began to transform from a town that was merely a tourist stopover en route to Maehongson into a destination in its own right.

Among the main attractions in Pai are Tha Pai Hot Springs, a complex of bubbling brooks and streams geothermally heated to around 80 or 90 degrees Celsius. Tourists can bathe here any time, but a hot mineral bath is especially welcome in the cool season when local temperatures fall precipitously at night and in the early mornings.

Several small resorts in the vicinity pipe water from the hot springs into tanks and tubs for the enjoyment of guests and day visitors. The largest section of hot springs is open to the public as part of the 1,252-square-kilometer Huay Nam Dang National Park, which straddles the parts of Pai and Mae Taeng (Chiang Mai) districts.

Other attractions in the national park include the Doi Gew Lom viewpoint, famous for its spectacular views of mist collecting in the valley below. Silver Orchids Palace, once a part-time home of the late Princess Galyani Vadhana, stands nearby and is open to the public at certain times of the year.

A larger complex of geothermal springs, Pong Deuat, features geysers that erupt regularly, spewing clouds of hot steam as high as two meters. The adjacent 1.5-kilometer Pong Deuat Nature Trail offers an easy and pleasurable walk amid hanging orchids and exotic tree species. Farther away, in Mae Taeng district, the park's Huay Nam Dang Falls is a spectacular four-level waterfall surrounded by evergreen forest and scenic rock formations.

Nine kilometers northwest of Pai, Mo Paeng Falls is perhaps the natural attraction in the area most popular with locals. Visitors may conveniently visit Lahu and Lisu villages along the road between Pai and the waterfall. Nearby Ban Santichon, a village founded by relatively recent immigrants from Yunnan, China, boasts a beautiful Yunnanese cultural center showcasing traditional rammed-earth architecture and a rustic restaurant serving tasty and authentic Yunnanese cuisine.

Triple-tiered Mae Yen Falls, to the east in Tambon Mae Hee, is arguably the most impressive waterfall in the district, and the three-hour, 30-kilometer hike (there is no vehicular road to the falls) offers an opportunity to escape the mechanical sights and sounds of civilization.

The Pai River winds lazily through town and provides a large measure of Pai's visual attraction. Overnight whitewater rafting trips can be easily arranged through Thai Adventure Rafting Tel: +66 (0) 5369-9111 from July to January, when water levels are high enough.Along with its natural outdoor attractions, Pai boasts what may be the most thriving holistic health scene in Thailand, with an unusually broad variety of yoga, Reiki, massage and other alternative health treatments on hand.

Pai has no shortage of nightlife, especially when it comes to live music. Two venues in particular are considered by many aficionados to be among the best live music venues in the country.Many artists from Thailand and beyond have taken up residence in Pai. Several galleries, including one operated by the Pai Post, a local bilingual newspaper, exhibit the work of local and visiting artists.—TAT