Pai, Thailand

Pai is located in one of the prettiest fertile valleys, surrounded by some of the tallest mountains in all of  Thailand. It’s one of several small towns and villages scattered through the mountains of Mae Hong Son Province.

This large, mostly rural province stretches from just west of  Chiang Mai  all the way to the Myanmar border.

Pai is about 550 meters (1,805 ft.) above sea level, so the weather here tends to be cooler in the hot season than it is in the lowlands to the east.

With a population that is still less than 6,000, it is very much a small town. Pai is just 83 miles northwest of Chiang Mai, but with the winding, twisting roads, it feels quite removed.

Though Pai continues to develop, it is doing so in a controlled manner; it’s a laid-back place.

The air is cleaner and fresher and the pace of life is much slower here, with all the ambiance of a congenial, small mountain town. Myanmar is only 40 kilometers (25 miles) directly north of Pai, though you would have to travel much farther to get there by road. The provincial capital of Mae Hong Son, with a population of just over 6,000, is 108 kilometers (67 miles) west of town.

If you’ve ever been to Big Sur or Carmel, California, to Boulder, Colorado, or indeed to any small, artist-oriented town, you have a sense of what is found in Pai.

There are many art galleries in town, meditation and yoga are popular activities and locals are accepting towards people from all walks of life. Classes are offered in everything from martial arts to alternative healing.

Community-minded Pai residents are involved in reforestation projects and helping disadvantaged minorities in the region.

One of the attractions of Pai is that as a foreigner, it’s possible to live a small town, Southeast Asian lifestyle without having to fully assimilate into Thai culture.