When I arrived in Pai, my first stop in Mae Hong Son province, I wasn't sure what to make of it. On the one hand, the much-discussed "Road to Pai" had been a breeze and no more difficult than any other mountain pass in the world.

On the other hand, to quote Gertrude Stein, there wasn't much to see there. I drove along the town's unremarkable main street to my "resort" (which wasn't really a resort at all); I quite liked a nearby rice field, and I enjoyed my lunch of hippie food, but after climbing the nearby Big Buddha, I felt I'd seen it all.

This is of course not a definitive answer to the question "Is Pai worth a visit?". But don't worry: I will address that in the following paragraphs.

Why it took me 15 years to visit Pai

For years I convinced myself I'd been to Pai before, even though I'd never written a travel blog post about it. I assumed I'd been there in 2012 when I spent several weeks in northern Thailand, splitting my time between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. But when I arrived in Pai a few weeks ago, literally nothing seemed familiar. I immediately realized I'd never been there.

More than ten years have passed since 2012 – I could have gone to Pai many times during that period, but I haven't. There are several reasons for this: I'm not a hippie; I generally don't spend much time in Chiang Mai. Ultimately, though, the main reason is that Pai simply never really appealed to me, neither in the distant past nor in the recent past.

5 reasons why I disliked Pai

That's pretentious.

Pai has a reputation as a hippie town, but believe me: that's not true. It might have been that way in the past, but these days the residents of Pai are mostly well-off guys and yoga girls who dress up as hippies. I'm not saying this out of malice or hostility, but simply to reflect reality. That's why I find the whole atmosphere pretentious, which is crazy, since it still smells of weed and patchouli.

There isn't much to see or do.

It's no coincidence that detailed itineraries for Pai are hard to find – there simply isn't much to do there. After walking through the town center, hiking to the Big Buddha, enjoying an organic meal, and visiting Pai Canyon, you can easily continue on to Mae Hong Son. I only spent one night there, but I didn't feel like I'd missed anything – because, frankly, I hadn't.

The accommodation options are mediocre.

And dangerous. Admittedly, my tiny bungalow in a "resort" near the Buddha outside the city center wasn't anything special, but it wasn't bad either. However, a design flaw meant that the step from the room down to the bathroom could have been a real death trap if I hadn't been careful. Unfortunately, most of the other accommodations I researched were similarly disappointing.

It's overrated.

However detailed a typical Pai guidebook may be, it certainly doesn't lack advertising. Understandable, since many of these publications don't seem to have been updated in at least ten years. Even if you end up liking Pai more than I did (which, frankly, I don't think is difficult), I'd be surprised if the reality of Pai even remotely lived up to your expectations.

There are far better travel destinations in the surrounding area.

Of the three main towns along the Mae Hong Son loop – Pai, Mae Sariang, and of course Mae Hong Son – I found Pai by far the most disappointing. Even smaller destinations like the sunflower fields of Thung Bua Thong and the Pha Suea waterfall (near the village of Ban Rak Thai, which was also very disappointing) were better than Pai.

How many days should one spend in Pai?

I only spent one night in Pai – and frankly, that was an exaggeration. I don't mean to be negative, but I don't think I could have seen anything in two days, or even a week, that would have changed my mind. The place is what it is; the first impression, whatever it may be, will probably also be the last.

Of course, whether you like the town or not shouldn't be the only factor influencing the length of your stay in Pai. It also depends on what you plan to do. For example, I didn't visit the famous Pai Canyon. Had I stayed a second night, I might have decided to go; I could also have visited Tham Lot Cave as a day trip from Pai, instead of on the way to Mae Hong Son.

Other frequently asked questions about visiting Pai

Is Pai worth it?

In my opinion, a trip to Pai isn't worthwhile, neither from Chiang Mai nor from more distant locations in Thailand. However, if you're planning to do the Mae Hong Son tour anyway, a stopover in Pai, at least for a day, is a good idea.

Why is Pai so popular?

Pai is popular due to its good reputation, which it has enjoyed for over two decades. Along the backpacker route in Southeast Asia, it's considered a hippie town and was one of the few places in Thailand where you could openly consume drugs before marijuana was legalized. Therefore, I suspect that many travelers are as disappointed as I was upon arrival.

Are 2 days in Pai enough?

In my opinion, two days in Pai are too long! There's only half a day to do in the town itself (or a full day if you take it very easy); most of the activities in the surrounding area can be done on the way there from Chiang Mai or on the way back to Mae Hong Son.

Conclusion

Is Pai worth a visit? If it fits conveniently into your itinerary, you can certainly go and see for yourself. On the other hand, after hearing so many good things about the place from travelers over the past ten years, I was incredibly disappointed. Frankly, its reputation as a "hippie town" seems undeserved. It's more of a town full of wealthy men and women who dress up as hippies in an unbearable way. Does that sound harsh? Perhaps. But I promise you that I will apply the same uncompromising care if you entrust me with planning your Thailand trip.