The growing Pai

After we knew where to stay (which i'm going to share in another blog), we had some beer before going to have dinner. In the market, the center of Pai is changing. Now Pai is being famous, is a touristic city, again after people stopped traveling there for a few years. I remember last time, we went to one nice pub, the owner is English. He told us that no customers for a year. He decided to sell it and went back to England. I wish he come back to see it now. It's growing a lot. There are too many many many shops on the street and what they sell is also nice. The handmade stuff, postcards about Pai picture in the different view. Old stuff that Thai people play or use when they are young.

Traveling in Pai, if you don't like to walk. You better rent the motorcycle or bicycle so that you can go around town. There are many interesting places in Pai, not only just in the market. The other favourite activity when you're here is .. writing postcards :) If you don't want to write but I'm sure you will do it. Stephane bought one or two after he saw Ale and I bought a lot. And not that followed us but the postcards are nice, you can't even just look and go but you will buy! Anyway, the sellers don't seem to be so friendly like they were. I know they live there and they love there but when they meet too many tourists who buy buy buy and buy, they don't care how you feel but they care how much they can earn. I didn't experience the bad thing but the other groups next to me did and I heard that. It's like the white sheet was coloring so now it forgot that it was white before. I don't know how to compare but I hope you understand.

Do I like Pai as much as before? No, not much as before but I still like it anyway.

Long time ago, there was just a few toursists. But in these two years, a lot of people go. Some are a backpacker, some go with a tour. Some are young but some are really very old. Some they go there because they really want to feel "PAI" but some go there just because they heard that people go there. They don't even care anything and after they walked around, they said "it isn't interesting at all". (I talked to some people and they shared me.) I don't mind to listen the other opinions that different from me. At least they go. If they don't like, just don't go back there again.

Growing up (again) so fast, that was I was thinking and writing it in my first blog of Pai. I read again today, what I'm worried is happening now there. After I back from this trip, some friends in the different gang asked me about it because they wanted to go too and actually they planned to go there in December. I just told them "I don't want to judge it. If you want to go, just go. Go to see with your own eyes. Maybe you like it, maybe you don't, then tell me".

After they're back, they told me that "they don't like".

Why?

People is looking for only taking the pictures.

So what? ( i asked but i know :)) Everyone is taking a picture.

But not the way they did ...

How?

People who know how to travel they know how to take the pictures but some people don't. And they take the pictures of everything.

:) uhmm ...

I had a beer at one guesthouse outside Pai market. It's a nice guesthouse, they made it like a resort. Wonderful yes. But because they decorated it so lovely, so many people go there just to take the pictures without drinking, staying or else. Ok, this point I think "because you made it so nice, that's why people like it". But the owner is kinda bored with it. They said, we made it because we like it but sometimes there are too many people come to take pictures, they covered the place. And after finished they go.  One of them made a joke that if I made the "shit sculpture in pink color, i'm sure they will come and say "wow beautiful, wonderful, fabulous," then take pictures also!

Haha . .. yes.

But I don't know, something you can't tell anybody to not do it! You made it in public and you show them because you want people to come to you. Hah? But at some point I agree. They didn't do it for business but they want people who really love the same as they love to stay there.

We had a dinner at Ban Pai Restaurant. Not too many restaurant to choose but enough to serve people in Pai. Some people have food in their guesthouses, some go to the market. The food is good here at Ban Pai Restaurant. It's good about Thai food so they are full of Thai people. The opposite one has just only foriegners. I noticed it after I already ordered. I saw some Thai walked in then they found that was just only farangs so they crossed the street to eat here. So it's true, that Thai people scared to speak to Foreigners? :) I don't know. I'm not :D

After eating, we went along the road in the market and decided to back to the questhouse and had some beer there.

Even I meant to feel the cold in Pai but I don't but I was happy that the hot stopped people to go there in the same time as me. I don't think it's nice to have to wait in the queue to eat, to buy, to travel, to drive?  If you are thinking about going to Pai. I recommend to go in Winter because there are a lot of things to see and the weather is good. Not too cold like in Europe or the US in winter time. But the best time is the early December or late January to Febuary. But if you want to see many many people, go there during New Year.