How to Get to Pai from Chiang Mai: Scooter or Bus?
When we were decided to visit Pai, we had to make a decision on how to get there from Chiang Mai. Ride the 4 hour meandering but scenic route on scooters? Or, get there by potentially nauseating, vomit-inducing, mini-bus? I am a big fan of riding scooters around to explore South East Asia, but this time, I wasn’t sure how safe it would be.
Pai Canyon
I did a lot of research online trying to find out how safe/dangerous it would be to rent a scooter and ride the steep 762 hair-pin turns to Pai from Chiang Mai and most blogs presented a confusing mix of advice. Some said it was a beautiful ride that experienced motorists could do quite safely while others claimed it was practically suicide. In the end, we decided not to ride scooters to Pai and take a mini-bus instead. Here’s why that was the best decision we could have made.
Image from 12go.asia
The ride to Pai was about 4 to 4.5 hours long in total with a stop in the middle for snacks and a washroom break. Tickets can be bought directly at Chiang Mai Bus Terminal 3 or online via 12go. If buying tickets at the bus station, be prepared to wait a few buses as the ones earlier in the day may already be sold out. It’s best to purchase tickets online.
There are only two mini-bus companies available: Prem Pracha and Aya. Both are pretty much the same and are about 250 baht ($9 CAD) for a one-way ticket. Just before our trip, I read about a horrific crash on a Prem Pracha mini-bus that took the lives of two tourists in late 2023. This made me a bit nervous but our driver was very safe. If you do end up on a bus with a reckless driver, ask to be let off and find an alternate route to Pai. Alternatively, you can hire a private driver although it will cost more.
It is worth stressing once more that the route to Pai involves 762 hair-pin turns, NOT gentle curves. These are TIGHT turns that will make even the hardiest person who claims they are immune to motion sickness, sick to their core if not careful. We had a passenger on our mini-bus almost throw up and had to be let off the bus to collect themselves (which was not easy for the bus driver to do because you can’t just stop anywhere on the narrow road).
Here are some tips I’ve learned from taking this harrowing journey:
Take Gravol beforehand and don’t have an empty stomach.
Try and sleep on the bus.
If you can’t sleep, try to snag a seat up front and follow the road with your eyes.
Bring some yadom (Thai nasal inhalers) - these helped me quite a bit!
Here’s the reason why we were glad we didn’t take scooters from Chiang Mai to Pai: on the bus returning to Chiang Mai we witnessed a motorcycle accident. Our bus had suddenly slowed down which prompted me to look out the window to see a man lying on the ground convulsing (likely going into shock). Next to him was a van with a few shaken looking passengers. It looked like there was a collision between the motorcycle rider and the van. What really shook me was this didn’t look like a tourist on a low c.c. scooter in flip flops who had just crashed. This was a fully-decked out, protective gear-wearing motorcyclist on a large BMW touring motorcycle who clearly looked like an experienced rider. Since the route is literally in the middle of nowhere, we had no idea how long it would take for an ambulance to get this man to the hospital. In the end, we had no idea if he made it.
The lesson learned here is: it doesn’t matter how experienced of a rider you are, how much protective gear you’re wearing, how perfect the weather will be, etc… At the end of the day, you’re an exposed rider on a route that has so many curves with vans and cars going at high speeds around these turns. There is no controlling how other vehicles will behave on an already dangerous and steep road.
Here was our compromise: once you get to Pai, rent scooters there. Don’t do the ride to Pai. It’s just not worth the risk and will only end up being a stressful 4 hours. Rent scooters once you’re in Pai, where the roads are large, flat, relatively free of traffic and takes you through some beautiful countryside. Once you’re in Pai you’ll probably want to rent scooters anyway to get to attractions such as Pai Canyon. Many hostels and hotels will have scooters for rent. We rented ours scooters for $10/day at our hotel, Kalm Pai.
$10/day rented scooters to get around Pai
Once you have your scooter in Pai, check out Pai Canyon and some of the many hot springs in the area including Mueang Paeng Hot Spring and Tha Pai Hot Spring. The ride will be stress-free and in most cases, you won’t see a single other vehicle for long stretches at a time.
Checking out Mueang Paeng Hot Springs!
