About 8km out of Pai are hot springs. Apparently many of the hotels and resorts have tapped into these as part of their “spa treatments” – again one is tempted to draw some loose comparisons here - if Chiang Mai is Thailand’s Stratford -on-Avon, then Pai is its Bath or Cheltenham.
Anyway forget about palatial classical buildings housing marbled baths - this place is an open stream in the middle of a wood.
Having parked and paid ( I think it is one of those places that charges about 200 baht - ten times extra for foreigners!) I walked up through a wooded valley. It was forested with a teak plantation but nearer the stream natural vegetation ruled – including some extraordinary phallic flowers (like red hot pokers) that protruded about three or four feet straight up from the ground, with garish green and orange tops. Apart from the plant life around the stream there were a lot of algae in the water - amazing how nature can evolve to such extreme environments. The stream from the hot springs flowed down through the valley in a series of pools. These pools were labelled and some had planks forming crude benches over them to allow bathers access.
First of all we walked up to the top were the hot water emerged. On first arriving we had noticed people buying what appeared to be eggs in a net bag – we now understood why, taken up to the top you could dip them in the water for a few minutes and cook them. Mists hung eerily over the water, the only indication of how hot it was until you looked into the pools and saw the water bubbling and shimmering with heat. A low timber wall had been set up to deter folk from thoughtlessly taking a dip in that scolding water.
As we walked back down the valley the heat was dissipated somewhat and my companion took a liking to a pool labelled “Mineral Bath” - he duly stripped down to swimming trunks, in his bag he had packed towel etc. – for those less prepared, I noticed there were rustic wooden screens to change behind at a discrete distance for the water. He lowered himself in, I dangled a toe in - my god! It was still hot!
My friend managed to sit in in this pool up to his neck for quite a long time, apparently without any discomfort. The only other people to brave this part of the stream were some rather large Germans poaching quietly away in a pool just up stream a little – eventually I managed to dip my feet in for a few seconds – maybe a minute or so, but it was too hot for me, full body submersion was out of the question, at least in that pool.
About 20 minutes out of Pai - you can hire a bike.
Or your hotel will arrange a trip out for you.
We stayed at Baan Tawaan. www.baantawan-pai.com/
Set in a Haui Nam Dang National Park outside Pai. The water bubbles out of the ground in clouds of steam at the top of the hill and gets cooler as you head downhill.
You can choose your temperature and bathe in the river or one of the ‘hot tubs’ cut into the riverbank. Sometimes they're lit up by candles at night.
Tha Pai Hot Spring are near Huai Nam Dang Waterfall in Haui Nam Dang National Park, 8km outside of Pai town. You can take a 15-minute taxi ride, walk or cycle.
A smallish Chinese-looking building from the exterior, with two floors overlooking a stage area where local Reggae and Blues bands play almost nightly. A great place to relax to some Marley and stick your name up on the blackboard for a game of pool.
Th. Rangsiyanon Keep walking out of town past the police station and it'll be on your left, covered in fairy lights.
It's a motorised bicycle. You should rent one because they're cheap, and the terrain is hellish for bicycles, especially the further afield springs and waterfalls. Be careful though as Thailand's roads are awful, although this far into the hills, you don't have much other traffic to worry about. Lessons are available. Bikes are 150 - 300 baht per day.
MS Motorcycle Rent near Thom Pai Elephant Camp Tours Office
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