Pai Walking Street: Wintry Chills & Thrills
Youthapong Charoenpan
During the country's cool season (November-March), Mae Hong Son province's Pai district becomes a hugely popular destination among Thai tourists.
Unless you make a reservation well in advance of your planned visit, you may actually find it difficult to find anywhere to stay in Pai during the cool season, so bear this in mind before setting off. Despite this limitation, Pai never seems to lose its allure among domestic tourists (and especially Bangkok residents), due to its unique characteristics. The town lies at the foot of a stunning mountainous area, while its walking street, which runs through the town's commercial center, provides visitors with some wonderful shopping opportunities.
Restoration And Recovery
In September 2005, Pai was hit by some particularly destructive weather, including heavy floods and landslides. Unfortunately, many buildings located by the Pai River, including numerous stalls and guest houses, were badly damaged or destroyed. Nevertheless, the town was able to recover very quickly and maintain its reputation as a peaceful getaway destination. During the reconstruction, the town's roads and infrastructure were enhanced and now Pai Walking Street features more stalls and stores than ever. This is just as well since the number of visitors to the charming northern town only ever seems to increase.
Pai Walking Street tends to come to life at about 5 pm and remains constantly busy right through until around midnight. Some folks suggest that the goods on sale here resemble those found on sale along Bangkok's Khao San Road, which I guess makes good sense since both areas tend to attract young, trendy types.
By sunset, the walking street tends to be crowded with shoppers. I was especially impressed by the diversity of the goods on sale and by the range of food and drinks on offer. Most of the stall holders are either locals, or young people from other places who love the place so much they decide to rent a place in the town specifically to sell goods to visitors during the busier winter months.
Most of the vendors tend to sell homemade goods, such as delightful postcards and notebooks, T-shirts, as well as items of clothing that are suitable for use during the cool season, such as scarves and sweaters. You'll also see plenty of handmade souvenirs and bric-a-brac for sale. Many of the items are either highly original or collectible. I was particularly taken with a small stall selling rice seedlings, which could provide someone with a nice, timely reminder of Pai's green and pleasant surroundings.
Thanks to the effective use of colorful decorative elements, the walking street's cafes and restaurants, which can be found along both sides of the street, are particularly alluring. You'll also find that there is plenty of entertainment on offer in the form of street entertainers and magicians.
During my visit to the walking street, I spent a total of 2,000 baht (US$65) on several purchases. I bought a dozen, beautiful handmade postcards, two colorful, screen-printed T-shirts, a pair of handmade sandals, along with several stylish accessories.
Pai Walking Street also features lots of vibrant works of art at affordable prices, as well as a distinctly laid back atmosphere as you'll discover if you spend a few minutes with a cup of coffee at a sidewalk cafe, chatting to the locals.
Although Pai was once a fairly inexpensive place to visit, prices can now vary considerably. While it's still possible to find budget accommodation (at about 500 baht per night), it's not as easy as it was before the floods struck five years ago. Nevertheless, some things never seem to change, so you'll be pleased to learn that 'bargaining' is still widely accepted among the town's helpful and friendly vendors.
Transport Connections:
Located alongside the Pai River, Pai district is in Mae Hong Son province, north of Chiang Mai and close to Thailand's border with the Union of Myanmar.
Air: KAN Airlines operates daily flights between Pai and Chiang Mai. For further information, call Tel: +66 (0)2 551 6111, or visit the carrier's official website at http://www.kanairlines.com/web/.
Bus: Regular and air-conditioned bus and minivan operators run regular services between Chiang Mai's Arcade Bus Station and Pai. Fares range from 72-200 baht ($2.50-6.80) and journey takes between three to five hours.
Credit: TAN Network (www.tannetwork.tv)
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