Pai is a small hippy town located in North Thailand just a few hours drive from Chiang Mai. The town is known for its lively walking street, numerous waterfalls, viewpoints, and the beautiful Canyon at sunset.
In this article, I will share with you my experience of getting from Chiang Mai to Pai, as well as how to get around and explore Pai without renting a scooter.
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How to get from Chiang Mai to Pai
Popular companies running routes between Chiang Mai and Pai include Prempracha Transport, and AYA Service PAI. You can easily ask your accommodation to book your ticket for you or book it online on website such as 12go.asia.
Prempracha has a van running every hour from 6.30 am to 5.30pm. You can book it and pay online at premprachatransports. I booked it online then paid at a 7-11 store.
The van has 12 seats and you can choose the seats for an extra 10 baht. I recommend booking the front seats if you have car sickness. The van departs at Chiang Mai Arcade 2 and arrives at the bus station in Pai Walking Street.
If you stay in Chiang Mai Old Town or Ninman area, you’ll need to book a Grab to get to Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 2. From Pai Bus Station you can easily walk to your hotel if it is located in the town center.
AYA Service also offers 6 buses each day from Chiang Mai to Pai from 8 am to 2.30pm. They also offer to pick up at the hotel in Chiang Mai and drop off at their office on Pai Walking street.
I highly recommend booking in advance in the high season because I tried to book a day before my departure but all booked out. You can book it from your hotel, 12go.asia, or many tour agencies in Chiang Mai Old Town.
I stayed in the Nimman area of Chiang Mai, so I booked a Grab car to get to Chiang Mai Bus terminal 2. It was around a 1 hour ride and 100 Baht. Traffic was heavy at the time of my booking.
I recommend always allowing extra time when traveling to bus, train stations or the airport as traffic in Chiang Mai can be very bad and you might miss your buses, trains, or flights.
The van left the train station at 2.30pm, then stopped at a cafe at 4.15 for toilet and food. We saw an accident on the road, so the driver stopped and tried to call the police to come. I arrived at Pai bus station around 6.10pm and then walked to my hotel nearby.
I sat at the last seat on the van and felt a bit squeezed because there was lots of luggages. The road was in good condition but it had lots of turns, I felt a bit dizzy and slept the whole time in the car. I also bought the green bottle Hong Thai Brand Herb Inhaler at the 7-11 and it was really helpful in preventing car sickness.
How to get to Pai from Bangkok and other cities
The best way to get from Bangkok to Pai is probably get to Chiang Mai first then get to Pai. From Bangkok, you can take airplanes, trains, or buses to Chiang Mai, then from Chiang Mai, you can take private taxi or minivan to get to Pai.
How to get from Pai Bus Station to your accommodation
Pai Bus Station is centrally located on Pai Walking Street in the town center. You can easily walk to your accommodation if it is located in town. If your hotel is located outside of town, you’ll need to confirm with your accommodations if they can pick you up from the bus station. Most hotels out of town offer this service.
I saw several people holding the board taxi in the front of the bus station, you can speak to them to take you to your hotel.
I have tried Grab, InDriver, and Bolt at many cities in Thailand but I didn’t try in Pai and I’m not sure if it’s available in Pai. The city is small anyway, I was able to explore most things on foot, guided tours, and private cars.
Explore Pai on foot
Getting around Pai on foot is one of my favorite ways to explore the city. I walk all the way from the town center, walking street, across the river, to the countryside area and Long Neck Karen Village.
It is around 30 minutes walk from the walking street to the Long Neck Karen Village, you’ll pass the peaceful rice fields. I spent a whole day trekking from the town center to Mae Yen Waterfall, which is very nice.
See more: How to Hike Mae Yen Waterfall
Getting around Pai in Motorbike
If you are confident in driving a motorbike and have a valid international driving license, renting a motorbike is a great way to explore Pai. I didn’t ride a scooter in Pai but I did in many other cities in Thailand and absolutely love it.
To stay safe while riding a motorbike, I recommend choosing the rental shops with good reviews, as well as knowing your driving ability and road conditions. Always wear a helmet when driving.
Riding a motorbike will give you freedom to explore each place at your own time and own pace. I wish I had more time to explore Pai Canyon, but the guided tour only allowed me to spend a limited amount of time there. I didn’t have enough time and quick enough to explore and climb to the top of the Canyon.
Explore Pai by guided tours
Along with walking, joining a guided tour is one the best ways to explore Pai. In addition to explore the town center, the riverside area, and part of the countryside on foot, I used guided tours to see attractions further away.
Just be mindfull that most of day trips or half day trips start from 10am or in the afternoon. Everybody party late night and most tours start late.
I took the half day tour to see major attractions in Pai. It incudes the Big Buddha, Chinese Village, Yun Lai Viewpoint, Coffee in Love, Waterfall, Bamboo Bridge, and Pai Canyon. The price of the tour is not included ticket to the Viewpoint, Bamboo Bridgem and the waterfall.
You can also book the half day trip to the Lod Cave. Be sure to book in advance during the high season. I tried to book at the last minutes but they are totally full and cannot add anyone more. I ended up renting a private taxi with other three people to see the cave.
If you are with group of friends, it easy to book private transfers then share the fare between people. Lots of tours require minimum number of people to start. If you travel solo like me, it can be expensive for those services though.
See more:
Pai is a great place to explore on a scooter. But if you don’t ride one, don’t worry, you can easily explore on foot and guided tour. I was able to see most things by walking and taking tours.