Discussed: 16 Feb 2025 at 07: 02
Mae Hong Son: Amid the mountains of northwestern Thailand is a hub for tourists to stay in beds, swim in rivers, walk along the Bamboo Bridge and bask in the sun, as guests gradually sink into what’s known as the” Pai hole” in Pai district.
However, a tourist overcrowding that causes stress for locals may cause trouble in paradise.
When a calm marketplace village, surrounded by wheat fields, warm springs and rivers, Pai is now a growing wifi for Thailand’s tourists. Famous for its hippy environment, affordable life and exciting celebration field, Pai is a travelling backpacker’s dream.
Travelers who intend to spend a few days in the Pai Hole and stay there for the rest of their lives are likely to fall into this trap.
Canadian traveller, Alex Chambers, 29, knows what it is to fall into the Pai hole.
” Once you are here you realise just how special Pai is, it becomes very hard to want to leave”, says Mr Chambers, who has been to Pai nine times.
The walkable city layout, good, affordable quality food and weather are the key factors that make Pai so special, Mr Chambers says.
There are scenes of foreigners hopping around on rented mopeds, jumping waterfalls, and chasing the iconic sunset at Pai Canyon while walking around the area. ” Pai Canyon is a geological wonder”, said Mr Chambers.
Another popular Pai activity is Tipsy Tubing, where hundreds of tourists pay 250 baht to travel down the Pai River in inflatable tubes while stopping at bars along the way. Every week, hundreds of backpackers join in Tipsy Tubing, with drinks in hand and many phones sluggish in the river.
The art scene is another striking aspect of Pai. From live music and tattoo shops to fashion markets, graffiti, flow arts and fire dancing,” the local artists here are incredibly talented”, said Mr Chambers.
” All the people who have “fall into the hole” are proud to call this place home, and we’re happy to be stuck here,” said Mr. Chambers.
A once tranquil town has become the heart of northern Thailand’s backpacking scene as a result of the boom in tourism. Pai is at risk of feeling culturally cleansed despite supporting the local economy by bringing money into the valley.
Locals mostly live outside the central area of Pai town because it is overpopulated with foreigners.
” There is some tension between the locals and foreigners because of clashing cultures”, said Mr Chambers.
” The behavior that some foreigners are bringing from their cultures into the valley is what annoys the locals,” he said, with some tourists disrespectfully acting in disrespect at local shops and restaurants or after engaging in alcohol-fuelled activities.
Being belligerent is not a vibe anywhere, but particularly not typical behavior from the local Thais, according to Mr. Chambers, who said the strain will likely go away when most tourists leave during the upcoming burning season.