The author, a Bangkok expat, travels North in search of cold weather and a mountain resort town. Here is the enthralling account of a few relaxed days spent at the Rim Pai Cottage and eating in local restaurants.

The reason we decided to come to Pai this time of year is for the cold weather and the feeling of being in some artsy-craftsy resort town. I get the same feeling here that I used to get in certain towns in upstate New York, like Woodstock. Or when I was living in El Paso, Texas, we would go up to the mountains of New Mexico and go to the Riudosa and buy overpriced Indian carvings and inhale pine blossoms in the freezing cold. I still remember one quote carved into a campsite outhouse door that went as follows: “Riudosa, Texas. Where Texans screw other Texans and make them love it under the cool pines.” Pai has some of that same escape from the big city feel that all artsy crafty mountain towns have throughout the world.

Since we have visited Pai before, we have got to know our way around a bit more and our choices of lodging, recreation and restaurants have become more knowledgeable and refined. There are no real hotels (as yet) in Pai but there are lodges and bungalows and we hope that it will stay that way. Normally we stay at the Pai Mountain Lodge, which is great for the secluded rustic feeling. The Pai Mountain Lodge is about 8 miles out of the town center, up the mountain road. I normally ride a motorcycle while in Pai and at night, in the cold season, the long mountain ride makes my hands freeze up around the bike’s handle bars and I grit my teeth against the cold. One of the cool things about the winding road up to the lodge is that you pass the Lhisu (hill tribe) village and the Jeen Haw (Gallopping Chinese) settlements. You also need to cross a military checkpoint. It makes for a colorful ride. Why there is a military checkpoint I don't know, I guess the Thai government thinks that either the Galloping Chinese or the Lhisu hill tribe are a national security threat; perhaps these people will start selling tribal handicrafts without a permit.

After a couple of days at the Pai Mountain Lodge, we decided to move into the town center of Pai, the main reasons being that the drive up the hill was too cold and we had no internet access. We wound up in the Rim Pai Cottage which is set directly on the river and near all the activities in town. Our bungalow was not just near the river; its balcony sat directly over the river and was built in Lanna-style dark wood. The effect is similar to the Lampang River Lodge, but even nicer. The complex itself is all wood and natural materials and you can stroll around the grounds and check out exotic birds, plants and a few cats. No dogs apparently and this was the same situation as the Lampang River Lodge (plenty of cats but no dogs). Perhaps high-class resorts are dog-free because cat turds are much more manageable.