W ho said it costs a lot of money to have fun or enjoy new experiences? We spent a few days in this laid-back mountain town only to find ourselves falling in love with this S.E. Asia hotspot. There are plenty of things to do here, and guess what? It’s not that expensive. We have put together a list of 10 things you can do in Pai under $1 if you’re on a tight budget like us.

1. Land Crack

Check out this farmer’s land that mysteriously started splitting in 2008. He cannot farm on the land anymore because of the crack, so he invites people to check out this bizarre occurrence and offers you homemade Rosella juice. If you accept he will give you a seat and bring you an assortment of fresh snacks from his garden and if you’re lucky like us Rosella wine! This is absolutely free and he expects nothing, there is a donation box where you should leave some money since he was so glad to share with you goodies from his garden.

2. Chinese Village View Point

Take your motorbike a few km out of town to check out the viewpoint of Pai’s mountains from the end of the Chinese Village. A friendly local will charge you 20 baht (~$.66) to relax, enjoy a pot of tea, and check out the scenic spot.

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3. Chinese Village

Get free samples. Check out mud and straw house shops and try samples of teas and goodies. Maybe you will find yourself wanting to buy some goodies. One shop offered us a variety of teas to try. Our favorite was the dew tea!

Ride a crazy ferris wheel swing. Here you can also ride this crazy swing if you dare. It’s only 25 baht a person and you can have the ride of your life. We were only brave enough to do a photo.

Do some archery. This one is a bit over our $1 budget but we had to include it! Right next to the swing you can also shoot some arrows at targets with these giant bows! Channel your inner Robin Hood and get a bullseye.

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4. Meditate

Join a free guided meditation at the upstairs of Good Life every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11:00 am. We were able to do this one morning and loved it. The guy who leads it is very friendly and happy to answer any questions at the end of the session.

 

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5. Enjoy Live Music

There are plenty of places in Pai that offer live jazz, funk, blues, rock, and DJs in the evenings. Or if you are talented yourself some places even offer open mic nights where you can showcase your talent for all to hear!

6. Waterfalls

There are four popular waterfalls just a short drive from downtown Pai. Some require 4 hour hikes (Mae Yen) and some you can drive right up to (Pambok). Unfortunately we visited at the beginning of May and the waterfalls were all dried up and looked more like a water stain than a waterfall. The falls are best in October & November.

 7. Epic Sunsets

It’s hard not to have a mountain view in Pai, which means almost no matter where you are the sunset is going to be a nice view. Check out the giant White Buddha in the mountain or Pai Canyon for the best views. Our favorite was the view from Pai Canyon. Make sure you wear good hiking shoes if you want to explore more.

8. Pai Canyon

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This canyon is simply breathtaking with its views and narrow footpaths leading you across the ridges. If you are an adventurer make sure you wear good shoes as it can be a bit slippery, narrow, and dangerous at some parts. We enjoyed the sunset on a ridge far away from everyone else and it was absolutely stunning.

9. Try Healthy Drinks & Teas

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There are quite a few healthy restaurants in Pai that don’t just serve up delicious healthy food, but also delicious healthy drinks! Places like Earth Tone, Fat Cat, and Good Life offer a variety of health drinks to try. We ate lunch at Fat Cat and Earth Tone and loved them both. We tried homemade Kombucha Tea for $1 each. Both places also had options of Rosella Tea, Rosella wine, and many other homemade or home grown teas to choose from. Other places even serve up inexpensive shots of wheat grass!

10. Walking Street

Every night downtown you can stroll the markets of walking street. Check out all the cute gift shops, stores, street food, and juice stands. You can easily buy fruit for under $1 for a nice after dinner snack.

As you can see, there are plenty of inexpensive things to try in Pai! There are many other things to do and see around Pai. This was only one of our many stops during our 7 week tour of Thailand. If you want to see how we traveled for $30 a person per day check out our recent post!

Want to learn how to save more money? Check out this post on how to barter in Thailand.

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