Decades ago Pai would have been a very dangerous place for tourists. Back then it was a hub for drug trading in the golden triangle. That changed in the 1980s and the area became an option for tourists. From what I’ve heard these people still had an interest in cheap opium and cannabis. From that something of a hippy culture developed in Pai and until the early 21st century it probably was a very relaxed place.

In the last weeks I spent a lot of time in cities. Time for a change. This is the view from my Bungalow near the river in Pai. Pai is a small town three hours north-west of Chiang Mai just 30km from the border to Myanmar/Burma. The road that leads there is famous - it has 762 bends on 90km. It feels nice to be in the countryside again and even though the ‘down-town’ here is a bit touristic the place has a very relaxed atmosphere overall.